Gamer to Farmer
by Tint
Summary: COMPLETE! Tint, the Gamer, learns how to cope with his new life as a Farmer. Watch as the transformation unfolds as he finds love, enemies, family, and a multitude of problems.
1. Painful Past

**Gamer to Farmer**

_A/N: I do not own Harvest Moon: Back To Nature or any of the other things referenced in this story. This is a story about a regular teenage guy, who loves playing video games. One day he gets magically transported to Mineral Town. To his surprise the game is about him! The story is written through a first person perspective. I hope everybody enjoys this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. Enjoy!_

Speech and text are regular text, _Thoughts are italicized._

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Chapter 1: Painful Past

"**Hurry** up, Brett. Just choose a game and let's go!" My mom's voice behind me causes me to jump. I don't like being disturbed when renting games, it upsets my decision process.

"I'm looking, OK! I don't want to get something that lasts me a couple of hours, like last time. And don't call me Brett, I prefer Tint." My response sounded harsh and I knew it. I'm not normally a rude person, but when I'm having a bad day, watch out.

Let me describe myself a bit. I'm a seventeen year old guy with short brown hair cut to military standards. I stand nearly six foot and am of regular build. I know that I am not one of the popular kids at school, but I know that I can trust on my friends. My eyes are a deep hazelnut, but you could never tell because of the tinted glasses that I always wore, which explained the nickname Tint. My eyes are really sensitive to light, probably because of many hours of lonely gaming in my basement. That's about everything of importance.

I turn back to the shelf lined with the small little CD cases. For some odd reason, I found myself drawn to a green cover. I looked carefully at the picture, my interest had clearly been captivated. Without warning, my mom jerks the case out of my hands and looks at the content rating. "Oh, you can't get this! It says there is 'Use of Alcohol." With that comment the game was deposited back on the shelf.

"What the hell!?! You let Neil get Grand Theft Auto, but you won't let me get this because of a little alcohol?" I stared in disbelief. Neil was my younger brother, just turned 12, and here he was going to play mass murderer.

"A little violence never hurts anybody. Plus, he sees stuff like that on TV and around him every day." My mother tried to explain in her way of reasoning.

"_But you're an alcoholic._" My brain screamed, but luckily the thought didn't turn to words. I did have a wild card left to convince her, "Even though it's only Thursday, it'll be a long weekend. Plus, it's a seven day rental. This will keep me out of your hair for a bit."

The next thing I knew, we were at home and the disc was spinning inside my Playstation. "_Works every time_," I smirked at the victory. That's when the power shut off. Here I was sitting in front of my TV staring dumbstruck at the black screen.

The next couple of hours were aggravating on the entire family. We usually get along when we don't have to be in contact with each other. I could hear yelling coming from the kitchen. Apparently my mom was helping Neil with his homework. "Brett! Come tell me I'm right!" My brother called.

"_It's Tint._" I grumbled as I stomped into the kitchen. I took one quick glance at the problem after hearing their explanations. "You're both wrong, the answer's 8." I stated and retreated outside.

We live out in the countryside, so it's always peaceful outside. I found myself climbing atop our shed to get a better look at the sunset. The final sliver of light reflected off of the roof of our neighbor. The beam of light struck me right between my glasses and my face. The light caused me to flinch and look away. The sight I saw took my breath away.

Cresting a hill not very far away, was a herd of horses, each galloping in a brilliant showcase of beauty and grace. For some odd reason, the screenshot from the game case flashed into my mind. I just sat and stared, my mind thinking about this game that I have never played before.

"The power's back on!" My mom's call snapped me back to reality. I jumped off the shed and rushed inside. I grabbed the remote for the TV and plopped down in front of it. "Sorry big guy. It's bed time." My dad said as he snatched the remote from my hand.

"What? The sun just set, it can't possibly be eleven yet." My dad held out his arm, stopping my protest at the sight of his watch. "_This isn't fair. I don't even get to try my new game." _I thought as I trudged into my room.

**I **found myself having trouble falling asleep. In the back corner of my mind I could feel something tugging away. It was this game. Never before had a game had me this addicted, especially one that I had yet to play. I rolled over and glanced at my bedside clock. The glowing red numbers flashed back 2:00.

I couldn't handle it any more, I had to play it. I hopped out of bed, slipping my housecoat on as I went. Stumbling through the dark, I managed to reach my door. Slowly, I turned the knob, praying that the door wouldn't make too much noise. I yet out a sigh of relief as the door opened without a sound.

Creeping along on tip-toe, I made my way into the living room. I felt my way across the room until my hand felt the cold screen of the TV. Moving my fingers along the edge, I finally found the power switch. A quick press and I flinch as the TV comes alive in a blast of static and noise. I quickly turn the volume down to nothing and sit quietly, hoping nobody was woken up. Once satisfied that nobody was disturbed, I switched on the power for the console, nervously awaiting this game.

It only seemed like minutes, but before I knew it, the glow of the rising sun warned me of my diminishing time to return to bed. All time had seemed to stop as I played Harvest Moon: Back To Nature. It truly had me captivated, in only a short time.

**That **day at school, I told everyone I knew about how amazing this game was. Nobody seemed to have even heard of it. I was asked to explain it in two words and I answered "Farming Simulation." This brought a chorus of laughter from my peers. I didn't understand it. Why did nobody seem to consider this as anything of interest?

The day dragged on for what seemed like forever. Each minute that passed meant one minute closer I was to getting to play Harvest Moon again. After an eternity, the final bell rung. "Hurry on home, Farmer Tint!" I heard a friend call mockingly to me as I boarded my bus. I didn't even as much as register his comment, I was bent on returning to my game.

Before the bus even stopped at my house, I was standing at the doors waiting for them to open. Once they did open, I must have set the world record for the hundred meter dash. I climbed the steps and bolted through the door. My backpack went sliding across the tile floor as I made my way to the TV. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the shattered disk laying on the ground in front of me. A near rolled out of the corner of my eye as I looked on the black shards that contained the magic of Mineral Town.

"What happened!" I called to my mom, who was standing in the doorway watching my reaction.

"I got a call from one of your teachers today. A Mr. Davis, if I recall correctly. He informed me that you appeared to be very distracted by something. So I called all of your friends to find out what was wrong with you. Each and every one of them said that you were obsessed by that evil game, which I told you never to rent. So I decided to break it." She explained.

I was speechless. This was exactly the kind of thing that my mother always did to me. She always had to wreck everything that was even remotely good. I racked my brain trying to come up with some response, but couldn't find one to properly express my anger at her and the world. I stormed off to my room making sure to slam every door along the way.

I never was able to find the game again. I spent every spare minute searching pawn shops and rental stores all over my town. Finding nothing, I moved my search to Edmonton, which wasn't far from my home town of Wetaskiwin. Even the import stores didn't have any knowledge of the game. The Internet was my next stop, but came up with similar results. Nobody was willing to ship the game to where I was. Plus, it's nearly impossible to buy anything online without a credit card.

My parents became extremely concerned about my behavior. My grades were falling drastically from nineties to barely passing. They were convinced that I had been placed under some curse by the black disc. Then my marks took the final plunge below the passing grade.

I found that my room quickly got a makeover. They tore down the Japanese posters of Harvest Moon that I had found at a garage sale. All the furniture was moved out, giving room for the carpenters to install soft padded walls. A solitary light bulb illuminated the ultra white room. A big metal door with a glass window was put in to hold me in. I even got a fancy new white straight-jacket.

Maybe that wasn't exactly what happened, but it was close. I was submitted to a psychologist for severe anti-depression counseling. I finally had a chance to get back at my parents for their inhuman treatment of me. I won't go into details, but let's just say that after a few sessions, I was seeing a new shrink and so was my old one.

Approximately five months after the incident, my parents agreed that I was cured. I knew that if I didn't say anything about the game they would let me resume my life. The school year was nearly finished, meaning that I had a practically impossible chance of passing this year. Mentally, I added another strike against my parents.

Since I quit therapy, I've tried my hardest to avoid talking to my parents whenever possible. They had broken my trust and would not easily be forgiven. Every one told me that I was over-reacting to the situation. Some understood me, knowing it was only an obsession.

One of these people was my best friend, Mage. Mage was a fellow gamer, probably the best female gamer in the province. Mage wasn't her real name of course, I won't reveal her actual name out of respect for her. She chose this nickname because of her love of Final Fantasy, especially the magic users. I never really understood why.

Well, over that summer break a lot of things happened. Barely a week in, Mage fell ill and had to go to the hospital. She was diagnosed with cancer and the news hit me hard. Here was my best friend, told that she wouldn't make it through the summer. I visited her every day at the hospital, making sure to bring a bundle of flowers with me each visit.

Before long, I had set up camp in the chair beside her bed. All strength was fleeing her body. She was barely able to lift her head off the pillow. The doctor confided in me, saying she was in her last week. Here was another good thing being taken from me.

She spent most of the time sleeping, but every time she awoke, she saw my face. I had grown to love her during the time I spent with her over these past few days. On the final day, she whispered for me to open up the drawer beside her bed. I did as she asked and lost my breath at what I saw.

I reached in and pulled out the CD case that I saw. It hadn't even entered my mind over the past bit. I looked over at her and saw the smile on her lips. "Thank you." We both whispered as I leaned closer. Her lips parted to meet mine as we had our first and only kiss. When our lips parted, she gave one last smile before closing her eyes for her final rest.

"Nurse!" I called out in a barely audible sob. Tears rolled down my cheeks and slipped away into the air. I just sat there and cried, clutching her gift to me.

The funeral was a week later. I hadn't stopped crying since that day. I was too upset to do anything. My parents decided it was best if I didn't go to the funeral. For once I agreed with them. It would only cause me more pain.

My parents tried everything to console me, but nothing really helped. They moved the TV and Playstation into my room and encouraged me to play Harvest Moon as much as I wanted. It was quite a quite a while before I worked up the courage to open the case and place the little disc into the disc tray. Right before I shut the tray, a single tear dropped from my eyes and landed on the disc.

I hit the start button and a bright flash filled my room. I closed my eyes to shield them. I felt like I was falling through the air. Then the falling stopped. "Tint, you OK?" a friendly voice asked me.

My eyes flickered open. I had fallen on a wood surface. I looked to one side and saw the ocean. A hand appeared in front of my face and I took hold of it. Whoever was the source of the voice pulled me to my feet.

I looked over the man who had helped me. I knew him from somewhere, but where. Then it hit me, it was Mayor Thomas from the Harvest Moon game! "Welcome to Mineral Town."

_A/N: Thanks for taking the time for reading this fic. I know it doesn't have much to do with the actual game, but it just serves as character background. As for if it's true or not, I'll leave that up to you._


	2. Welcome to Mineral Town

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 2: Welcome To Mineral Town**

_A/N: Thanks for the feedback! I was sort of surprised by how much of a liking everybody took to this fic. Because of that, I'm updating ahead of schedule. I was planning on once a week on Thursdays, but if the reviews keep up expect two chapters a week. Once again, thanks and enjoy._

Speech and text are regular text, _Thoughts are italicized_

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**"Welcome **to Mineral Town." Mayor Thomas announced with a big smile covering his face.

"_My parents were right! The game did really make me insane!_" My brain screamed. I was feeling a little woozy, not sure if this was reality or not. "Are you sure that you're OK? You did take a bad fall back there." Mayor Thomas asked.

"I'm fine." I answered. A shrill shriek beside me caused me to jump. Mayor Thomas chuckled, "Sure you are. You're probably just a little hung over from the New Year's celebration last night. I'll take you to your place so you can sleep it off."

The Mayor beckoned for me to follow him. To my left was a large cruise ship, just pulling out of port. _"I must have been on that ship."_ I thought as I stepped onto the sandy beach. We climbed a flight of stairs and entered the town square. There was a whole bunch of people my age celebrating. A couple of people waved to the Mayor as we passed.

It had been at least seven months since I had played the game. I had completely forgotten what everything and everyone looked like. I couldn't tell who anyone was. I knew one thing though; this place was beautiful.

The Mayor caught me admiring the surroundings. "It sure is beautiful today." He commented. I nodded my head in agreement. "We had a long Winter, but today's the first day of Spring and a new year."

"_New Year! Wasn't it the end of Summer not very long ago? Meh, who cares. This place is so much better than home." _I thought as we walked along a dirt path behind the square. Birds sang with an air of newborn happiness.

Mayor Thomas interrupted my thought process, explaining the surroundings as he passes by the locations. "This here is the Yodel Ranch. And up this way is Gotz's place. This is the Poultry Farm."

The path came to an intersection. To my right were a couple of buildings from the town. We turned to the right and into the farm area. It was exactly like the game, down to the smallest detail. Of course, the field was a total mess. We stopped in front of the house that I was going to be living in. "Your Grandfather would have been really proud of how you turned out. You've grown so much since you visited Mineral Town so very long ago." Thomas commented.

It would probably be best if I played along with the storyline of the game. "I remember it like it was yesterday." I lied while in my mind the screenshots of the flashback played silently. I wish my childhood had been as fun as Jack's. Too bad that I lived in the real world.

The Mayor pulled a key out of his jacket pocket and unlocked the door to the house. The door swung open noiselessly. The Mayor handed me the key. "Your stuff arrived yesterday. It's already inside. I'll be back tomorrow morning to give you a tour of the town." With that said the Mayor tipped his hat and walked away.

I looked out at the field. _"Do I really want to do this?"_ I thought. There was so much work to be done. I'm not used to doing work, and this might be too much for me to handle. I walked into the house, shutting the door behind me.

The house was just like the game. A bed in the corner, a rucksack was hanging from the wall, a nice TV, toolbox, bookcase, and a table. On the table was a letter. I picked it up and stared at it. It said "To my Grandson, Tint." _"Weird."_ I was somewhat scared by the fact that the game actually thought that I was the real person who was supposed to be inhabiting this role.

As I opened the letter, a small slip of paper slipped out. I bent over and picked it up. It was a picture of an old man standing underneath the apple tree outside. _"Must be my 'Grandfather.'" _I thought. That's when I saw the little kid beside him. It was me as a child.

_"It can't be me!" _I protested, _"It's just a coincidence that the kid looks like me as a kid. There is no way that it can be me!" _I needed to read the letter to make sure. My hands trembled as I unfolded the paper.

_Dear Tint. Feel free to name the farm whatever you feel like. Thank you for keeping the farm in the family. You are the only one I can trust in keeping the family tradition alive. I know that you are extremely confused by what is happening. You are probably thinking that this is only a dream that you will wake out of at any second. You're wrong. This is not a game! Your parents have been afraid of this day ever since they sent you here many years ago. They tried to brainwash you into believing that it never happened. I knew that one day you would realize the truth. The copy of Harvest Moon that Mage gave you contained a special device that would transport you to Mineral Town once I died. That teardrop that fell onto the disc activated it and now you're here! You probably don't believe any of this, so I enclosed a picture of us from when you visited. Good luck and take good care of my farm. Grandpa._

I nearly collapsed. I sat down on the edge of the bed. "_Everything that I thought I knew was a lie. My entire life was a lie. But why would my parents brainwash me? What had happened here that they didn't want me to remember?"_ My brain was full of questions.

I had never known my Grandfather. My parents told me that he lived very far away and we could never visit him. There was a chance that this farm was really his. Suddenly I felt very tired. The Mayor was right; I should take the day off and rest. I lay back on the bed and closed my eyes. The next thing I knew, I was asleep.

**I **was awakened by a scratching sound at the door. I glanced over at the alarm clock sitting on the bedside table. I must have fallen asleep with my glasses on because I could clearly see that the time was 3:00 AM. I had slept all day without realizing it. The scratching persisted.

There was a small lamp on the counter so I flicked it on. I got up and trudged over to the door. I opened the door a crack and peeped outside. It was raining pretty hard but there was nobody there.

The light got turned off and I made my way back to bed. I set my glasses on the counter and tugged the blankets over top of me and settled in to sleep. The floorboards creaked a bit as tiny little feet scampered across the floor. Something had got inside.

Once again, I got up, put on my glasses and turned on the light. I looked around the room. I saw some movement over in the corner behind the toolbox. Cautiously, I crept over to the box and looked behind it. Sitting there was a soaked, frightened puppy. In his mouth he held a letter. I reached over to him in order to grab the letter. The puppy backed away from my hand.

"I'll see if I have some food for you, little guy." I called to the puppy as I headed to the table. I had seen some food there earlier. The patter of the puppy's footsteps followed me. I searched through the assortment of cans, bread and produce. I found a small chub of ham and a couple of bowls. I put the ham in one and set it on the ground in front of the puppy. I took the other one outside and filled it with water. By the time I got back inside, the ham was gone.

I put the water bowl beside the other bowl. Then I got a towel and proceeded to dry the little fellow off. "I think I'll call you Homer." I commented. Homer barked in reply.

I had forgotten about the letter. Homer had dropped it before he started eating. _"I hope this isn't as traumatizing as the first one."_

_Dear Brett. We are sorry that you had to find out this way. We had planned on telling you when you turned 18. Guess there's no stopping you now. Good luck managing the farm. We'll make sure to visit one day. Mom and Dad. P.S.: Here's a little something to get you started._

"They found out pretty quickly." I stated as I counted out the 500 gold they sent me. I must have gone missing over the Fall and Winter. My mind was blank about what happened before today. I didn't have to worry about it, at least till they visited.

The whole thing had taken half an hour. I had a couple of hours left for sleep. Homer had already curled up at the foot of the bed. The rest of the night went peacefully.

**My **alarm awakened me at six that morning. To my surprise I found a plate full of flapjacks sitting on the table. I ate the food heartily, not caring where it came from. I hadn't had a decent meal in a long time.

_"The Mayor will probably be here any second." _I thought as I flicked the TV on. There were only four channels, which didn't bother me because my family had peasant vision. Weather, News, New Year Celebration, and a farming advice show. Nothing was on this early in the day. I turned the TV off and went over to the toolbox.

I knew what I needed for the day. I added the sickle, the axe, and the hammer to my inventory. The field was a mess, so I would need to use these to clean it up. There was a knock on the door.

It was Mayor Thomas, of course. "Good morning Tint! Did you get a good night's rest?" He was way too happy for this early in the morning. Something behind me had caught his eye. "Is that a puppy?" He asked.

"The little fellow woke me up last night. Is it ok if I keep him?" I asked as Homer trotted outside.

"Of course you can keep him. He was originally supposed to be a welcome gift from the town to you, but he ran away. I can't believe that you tamed him in one day." Thomas was all smiles, which ticked me off. I was used to waking up after noon.

"Does everyone wake up at six?" I asked, hoping that the answer was no.

"Yup. Six marks the beginning of a new day round here. So you had better get used to it."

I groaned at the answer. That meant I wouldn't be sleeping in any day soon. "How bout that tour?" I inquired, trying to change the subject.

"Oh, of course! Just follow me." I made sure to shut the door behind me before leaving the farm.

This time we went along the cobblestone path. The Mayor pointed out the Blacksmith's and the Winery. I had seen these places as we walked by yesterday. AS we passed the Winery, the door to the cellar slammed open. I watched as a man struggled up the stairs, arms laden with an assortment of wines. One of the bottles began to slip and fall. I reacted quickly, making a diving catch right before the bottle hit the ground.

"Nice catch, kid." The man said. I offered to take a couple of bottles and he gladly accepted. The man's wife had opened the door to the house, letting us in. We placed the bottles in a wine rack. "Thanks for the help. I'm Duke and this is my wife Manna. You must be the kid that moved into the old man's farm. Tint, I believe?" The man extended his hand, which I shook.

"That's right. Good to meet you." I said as politely as I could for the time of day. Duke bid me farewell, but not before giving me the bottle I had rescued. I added it to the rucksack.

The Mayor was waiting for me outside. "You won't find it hard to make friends in this town if you keep doing things like that." He stated as we continued the tour. We passed the Library with its adjoining house. I was introduced to a kind old woman named Ellen. His house was next door.

We continued along the path. The Mayor introduced me to Jeff and Sasha, who owned the Supermarket. While there, I purchased four bags of turnip seeds and used the rest of my money on puppy chow. My rucksack weighed a ton from the tools and food.

Next, the Mayor showed me the Clinic. When he offered to introduce me to the doctor and nurse, I refused. "I don't like hospitals." I explained. It wasn't a lie. Every time I passed a hospital, my heart cringed. The loss of Mage still weighed heavily on my heart.

Thomas pointed along the path. "Over that way is the church and the Harvest Sprites' home. If you ever need help on the farm, they are sure to help." The Mayor then headed across the road. To our right was a large Inn.

"What's the legal drinking age here?" I asked, praying it wasn't 18. It would suck to live alone and not be able to drink.

The Mayor chuckled at my question. "Everyone asks that when they first come to Mineral Town. The legal age for everything is 16."

If I hadn't spent all my money on seeds, I would be sitting at the bar with a little devil sitting on my shoulder chanting "Chug, chug, chug!" But it wasn't so.

The Mayor led me back to my farm. Homer ran up to greet us as soon as we stepped into view. "I have a few matters to discuss with you before I take leave. First, could you please answer this questionnaire for official records?" Thomas handed me a clipboard and a pen.

_#1. When is your birthday? _Spring 27

_#2. What is the name of the farm? _Mage's Farm

The Mayor looked over my answers quickly before tucking away the clipboard. "Mage's Farm? Nice name. Now for the not very fun part. The town received notice from a very wealthy businessman that he intends to purchase the town. He said something about paving the whole place down and building a mega-mall."

"That's horrible! What can I do to stop him?" This was unexpected. I thought that I was going to have a worry free stay.

"He laid down a challenge for you. He set a lofty goal for the farm and you have to do it entirely by yourself. If you don't reach his goal, he gets the town. That's means the entire town is depending on you."

_"Talk about pressure!" _I swallowed nervously before asking, "How long do I have?"

"Three years. He'll come on New Year's Eve on the third year and judge your farm. For your information, he also stated that if you angered the villagers, we could kick you out at a moments notice. Chances are that won't happen, but I will warn you; if you slack off, putting us in jeopardy, we will find someone else to manage the farm."

During this, Homer had somehow gotten inside. The next thing I knew, Homer was at our feet, pushing two wine glasses along with his nose. "Good idea." I told Homer as I picked up the two glasses. I pulled out the wine that I got from Duke and filled the two glasses. Offering one to Thomas, I raised my glass in the air. "A toast to a new future."  
"For Mineral Town!" The two glasses clicked together, signaling the official beginning of a new chapter in my life.

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_A/N: Tell me one thing. Did this chapter live up to the quality of the first? I think that I changed Tint a bit, making him a lot more social. Opinions? Please review, it doesn't matter if they're good or bad. Thanks._


	3. The Goddess Festival

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 3: The Goddess Festival**

_A/N: Wow... I'm speechless! I wasn't expecting so much positive feedback in such a short time. You've all touched my heart with your kindness. I am hoping to end up with at least one hundred reviews by the time I'm done this fic. That'll be at least twenty or so more chapters._

_Sorry that I couldn't update this last week. This chapter ended up being a lot longer than I had originally planned it to be. By the time I had it finished, school was over for the week. So I had to wait till Monday. I hope the wait was worth it._

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My alarm brought me jumping to my feet. I ripped the date off the calendar as I passed it on my way to the food on the table. I had stayed up all night one day, to discover who made me this food every day. I ended up catching Chef, the red Harvest Sprite, in the act. He told me that it was the least he could do for how well my Grandfather had treated him and the other sprites. Today was the seventh of Spring, making it my seven days I've spent in Mineral Town.

The first couple days of my residency in Mineral Town were spent clearing that horrid field. Right off the bat I cleared enough room next to the shipping bin to grow the turnips that I had purchased from Jeff. I had four plots of the things just about ready to be picked and sent for profit.

I had taken my axe and hammer throughout the field, smashing every twig and stone that crossed my path. It felt good to pummel something into oblivion. I must have had some excess hatred for my family left. Every once and a while Gotz would stop by to make sure I was still intact, physically and mentally. Must have been the maniacal laugh I made every time I made a rock shatter.

About half the field had been cleared of weeds. I felt proud about the amount of work I had accomplished in only five short days. It was actually a lot more fun than I had dreaded it to be.

I finished the food laid out before me and turned on the TV. The news flashed before by eyes. The reporter was in an extremely good mood, "The Goddess Festival will be held in Mineral Town tomorrow."

I flicked off the TV. I had been so busy around the farm that I had forgotten to even introduce myself to any of the girls. In fact, I hadn't even met most of the villagers. I knew a couple, merely as acquaintances, but none as a friend. This had me a little worried.

My trip to meet girls started at seven AM. I had to make sure that my crops were well watered before heading up Mother's Hill. Gotz had told me that most of the girls in the town were suckers for flowers, which happened to be my specialty. Maybe not a specialty, but an only method, none the less.

I remembered from the game that there was a clearing near the top of the hill. There was always an abundance of flowers in that area. The climb wasn't as easy as it was in the game. By the time I reached the clearing I was crawling on my hands and knees up the final bit. I needed a rest, so I leaned up against the tree.

Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep. The climb had taken more out of me than expected. The next thing I knew a voice jolted me awake. I looked around. Finding nobody, I went back to my nap. This time the voice was much louder and menacing. "Why are you leaning against me? Are you trying to push me over?"

I bolted to my feet. It was the tree that was talking to me. "Get away from me you possessed tree!" I yelled as I pulled out my axe. I was about to take a swing at the demon plant when it stopped me. "Sorry. Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. If you don't cut me down, I'll give you a power berry."

A red berry dropped from the branches into the patch of flowers. I watched the berry roll to a stop before focusing on the tree again. A grin crossed my face as I wound up, ready to take a swing. Before I knew it, a branch snapped out from the tree and knocked the axe out of my hands. I backed away slowly, holding my hands out in the peace sign.

I recollected my axe and picked up the power berry. With one swift motion I tossed the fruit into my awaiting mouth. A rush of energy swept through my body. I felt like I could do anything.

A beep from my watch told me that it was 8:00. I needed to speed myself up if I was to meet a girl and convince her to take me as her date to the Goddess Festival. I bent over, grabbing a bunch of flowers and booking it down the hill. I was in such a hurry that I didn't notice the tiny pebble sticking out of the path. Amid the descending dust cloud, I was quite graceful.

"Ugh..." I muttered once I stopped rolling. At least I was only physically injured. I heard giggling above me. My eye barely peaked open, spotting a pink haired girl and a redhead. "I meant to do that!" I lied, trying to manage a smile. The girls laughed and continued on their walk from the hot springs. Strike two possible candidates from my list and subtract what little pride I held.

After picking myself, and my dignity, off the ground I proceeded back to my farm. Homer ran up beside me as I crossed the little bridge. I swear from the look in his eyes that he would burst out laughing any second. After cleaning myself up at the little pond I proceeded into town.

I tried to remember Mayor Thomas' tour of the town. He had told me that there were five available girls in town. The two that I had embarrassed myself in front of were Ann and Popuri, if my memory served me correctly. After that fall, I wouldn't be too sure of that.

The next girl on my list was the librarian. I didn't know much more about her than this little tidbit of information. I walked along the pathway not too sure of myself. It had been a lifelong friendship with Mage and even then it had taken tragedy to push us together. I stopped before the library door to compose myself before pushing it open.

"Hello. Feel free to look around for as long as you like." The black haired girl behind the counter greeted me as I walked in.

_"Not bad." _I thought to myself as I quickly gave her a look over. She must have noticed that I was checking her out because she turned a deep shade of red. "I think I found what I was looking for." I told her in my sweetest possible voice presenting her with some of the flowers that I had picked earlier.

"Why, thank you." She was really blushing now. "I, I... I don't believe that we've met before."

"I'm sure that I would have remembered such a pretty lady." I turned the charm up another notch. In truth I was sickening myself. I hated it when guys tried to brown nose their way into the heart of a woman. But, I was somewhat desperate.

She tried to hide her face from me so that I wouldn't see how much she was blushing. "My name is Mary." She revealed.

"Pleasure to meet you Mary. I'm Tint from Mage's Farm." I introduced myself.

"Oh, you're from the farm!" Mary was really interested in this fact. "How do you like it here in Mineral Town?"

The question caught me off guard. I hadn't expected to be the one doing any answering. "It's quite beautiful here. I like it a lot." I answered truthfully.

"Your right, it has to be the most gorgeous place on Earth. It's a shame that they're going to tear this all down in a couple of years." I could see a tear forming in the corner of her eye.

Time for the hero act. "Not if I can help it."

"Really! You can do something to stop them?" I must have filled her with a sense of hope that she had lost.

"Yup, they agreed that if I met a goal of theirs in three years, they'll leave the town alone." I stated with a sense of pride.

"Thank you! I had thought that the town was doomed no matter what." Mary came out from behind the counter. The next thing I knew, her arms were wrapped around me in a warm embrace. It was my turn to blush.

Here was my chance to ask her. "Mary, I was wondering, if you aren't going to the Goddess Festival with someone, do you want to go with me?"

"Oh... Um... How do I say this? Sorry Tint, but I'm already promised to go with someone else." Mary apologized as she released me from her grasp.

Inside, I was cursing at how close I had gotten. Outside, I remained cool. "No problem." I said, searching my mind for some reason to get me out of the situation. "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you later. I need to run some more errands today." With that, I made my exit.

I remembered from Thomas that Jeff had a daughter. So, I decided to pop into the Supermarket to see if she was around. I was disappointed to find out that she had gone to visit Rick from the Poultry Farm. I left the store and plopped down on the bench beside the mailbox.

It was shortly after ten. So far my quest had turned up fruitless. The Mayor had said that a girl worked at the clinic as a nurse. If I wanted to meet her, I would need to come to terms with Mage's death and my fear of hospitals. It was a little too early to do that.

So, my next choice was Ann from the Inn. I got up from the bench and made my way towards the large building in the center of town. Once there, I went inside. I nearly ended up running into Ann as she carried a tray of food out the door. "Sorry about that. I'm just on my way to deliver this food to Pastor Carter. I'll be back in a short while, 'till then, take a seat."

Just as I was about to take a seat a voice called to me from the bar. "Hey there, can you come over here for a bit?" A man with a red beard beckoned for me to come over. I obliged and sat on a stool at the bar. "You must be the new guy, Tint. I'm Doug, the owner of this Inn. That girl that you almost ran into was my daughter, Ann. What do you think of her?"

I thought my reply over quickly. She was a bit of a tomboy, but I always had a liking for redheads. "She's sort of cute." I answered truthfully.

"Good to hear that!" Doug proclaimed. The next thing I knew, there was a plate in front of me, with a piece of pie on it. "Thanks." I said as I dug in.

After I was done, I pulled out my wallet to pay but was stopped by Doug. "Don't bother with that. I think I know why you came here."

"Oh, and what would that be?" I asked, trying to remain innocent.

"You came to ask my daughter to the Goddess Festival, right?" Doug stated. I nodded my head, uncertain if it was a good thing to do so. "Great! She's been waiting for a guy to ask her, but none of the guys around here seem interested."

_"Good. Now all I have to do is make a good impression and I'll have a date!" _My thoughts were interrupted as Ann returned from her delivery. She didn't even notice me as she headed straight to the sink behind the counter. "Dad, you'll never guess who I ran into at the church when I brought Carter his lunch." She tossed the empty tray into the sink and turned to face her father.

"I don't know. Who?" Doug asked, seemingly uninterested.

"It was Cliff. You know, the guy staying here. Well, he's been there every day this week. I think something may be wrong with him." Ann said concerned.

"Don't worry about him. He's just a little lonely, that's all." Doug looked over at me. "Have you met Tint yet?"

Ann recognized me for the first time since she had returned. "Aren't you the guy who fell down Mother's Hill this morning?"

I blushed. I had hoped that she had forgotten about the entire thing. "Yeah, that was me."

"I am so sorry that Popuri and I laughed at you. We aren't used to seeing someone take that much of a fall. Were you hurt?" Ann asks considerately.

I held up my arm, pointing to a couple of scrapes and bruises. "Nothing more than minor flesh wounds." I said proudly showing my battle scars.

"That looks painful. Let me get you a cold compress for you." Ann went into the back room. Doug gave me a wink and whispered, "Keep it up. She loves taking care of people."

I felt a little uncomfortable flirting with Ann with her father standing right next to us, watching every move I made. Ann came rushing back into the main room, holding a bag of ice. She sat down beside me and ordered me to hold out my arm. I did as she asked, awaiting the cold sting of the ice. I drew in a sharp breath as the ice met my gravel burns. Ann looked up at me with a smile. "You don't need to prove how manly you are to me."

I honestly felt like bursting out in tears and screaming in pain. The cuts hadn't hurt that much earlier in the day. Maybe it was my body's way of screwing with me. Ann was just finishing icing the last of my cuts when the noon crowd started to stream in through the doors.

Ann made her way to great the new guests but Doug stopped her. "Ann, I believe Tint here has a question for you." Ann turned around and gave me a surprised look. Talk about pressure.

I cleared my voice before asking, "Since tomorrow is the Goddess Festival, I was wondering if I could be your date for the event."

Ann blushed. "I would accept your offer, but, Cliff asked me when I went to the church earlier. I already told him that I would go with him. Sorry Tint."

Score a second strikeout to the tally. Twice rejected in one day. I stood up, looking over the markings on my arm. "Don't apologize. If I had learned about the festival earlier I would have been more prepared. Well, see you two later."

I decided to head on home to check up on the farm. Homer might have found a way into my wine cabinet... again. I walked out of the Inn and headed to the town square. The Mayor was at the bulletin board. "How's everything going, Tint?" He asked in his usual friendly manner.

"Pretty good," I replied, "Just having a little trouble finding a date for tomorrow's festival."

"Ah, I see. I feel somewhat sorry for the young fellows around here. There are six of you guys and only five girls. You might want to try Popuri. She should be available. The guy that she's interested in doesn't show up until summer." The Mayor suggested.

I thanked him for his advice and made my way to the Poultry Farm. Since I was headed home and it was on the way, I could stop by. I checked my rucksack, making sure that I had some flowers left. I was making my way along the dirt path when I heard yelling coming from the Poultry Farm. "I hate you Rick!" Popuri yelled as she stormed into the woods at the base of Mother's Hill.

A young man about my age followed after Popuri. "Come back here, this instant!" He yelled after the fleeing pink haired girl. He let out a sigh as he watched her disappear.

When he noticed that I had been watching he asked, "Did you see the entire thing?" I nodded my head in response. "Then can you do me a favor? Can you go find my sister and apologize for me? She won't listen to me."

"Sure thing." I said as I made my way down into the woods. The tranquility of the forest was broken by the occasional sob coming from the hot springs. I silently made my way up the stairs and into the little clearing by the springs. I saw Popuri sitting at the edge of the small pond, staring intently at the clear water.

"Are you ok?" I asked as I sat down beside her.

"I... _snivel _Sorry about this. It's just that _snivel_ I forgot to lock the chicken coop and _snivel_ some wild dogs got in and _snivel_ killed one of the chickens." Popuri tried her hardest to hold back the tears, but wasn't doing a very good job.

"It's not your fault." I said as I pulled out the flowers that I had collected and held them in front of Popuri. She wiped away the tears from her eyes. A smile replaced the tears as she clutched the flowers tightly. "Thank you." She whispered.

"Do you feel any better?" I asked as she cuddled closer to me.

"Yes, thank you. Do you want to walk me home?" Popuri asked sweetly as she climbed to her feet.

"Sure thing!" I smiled as I got to my feet. _"This is going perfectly!"_

The walk took less time than I had expected. Before I knew it, we were standing in front of her door. "Thanks for cheering me up." She whispered into my ear as she hugged me.

"No biggie. Do you need someone to accompany you to the Goddess Festival tomorrow?" I asked hopefully. I was sure that after cheering her up she would say yes.

Popuri let go of me and backed away. I knew then that she was going to say no. "You haven't found a date to the Goddess Festival yet? If I had known earlier I would have gone with you instead of accepting Barley's offer. Sorry."

_"Ouch. The old guy who ran the Yodel Ranch had gotten preference over me?"_ That's what happens when you spend too much time farming and not enough time making friends. I bid farewell to Popuri and headed back home.

**The **rest of the day went by quite quickly. Before I knew it the sun was nearly set. Zach had stopped by and dropped off a few hundred gold from the day's foraging. I had spent the remainder of the day pulling up weeds as I felt sorry for myself. _"It's a good time for a drink." _I told myself as I headed into town.

The Inn was surprisingly empty for the time of day. I looked around and saw only three people inside other than Ann and Doug. Then I noticed the dirty blond haired girl at the bar. I decided to make one last attempt before the day was over.

I sat down on the stool beside the girl. "Two beers." I called out to Doug. Doug gave me a nod and filled two glasses. He set the glasses down in front of me before returning to the other customers. "Thanks for the drink." The girl beside me said.

_"What! I bought these both for myself! Oh, wait. This might work to my advantage." _"Your welcome." I said with a smile as I pushed one glass in front of her. To my surprise she took the glass and downed it in one gulp. Cue the little devil on my shoulder.

The girl looked at me for the first time since I sat down. I was captivated by her emerald green eyes as they locked onto mine. "You must be Tint." She stated flatly as she bored a hole through my head.

"And you must be Karen." I replied, nervously trying to break her gaze. It was my turn to down my drink. No, this wasn't my first drink; I was a Canadian after all.

"You're a good kid." Karen said as I set the glass down. _"The fact that I could down a drink in one shot must impress her." _I thought as I ordered another round.

"I didn't really expect this." I told her as she chugged the beer the second it hit the table.

"I'm not your average girl." She told me.

Half an hour later, Doug was refusing to serve us any more alcohol. I have no idea why. Maybe it was the fact that I was nearly falling off the stool. But that was probably just my imagination. I didn't remember anything else after that.

**My **eyes flickered open. I must have gone home sometime during the night, because I was lying in my own bed. My head really hurt. I tried to roll over, but for some reason I couldn't. There was someone lying on top of me under the covers!

_"Oh my Goddess! Did I bring Karen home with me?" _I nervously lifted up the sheets and looked down. Staring up at me was a pair of beady black eyes. "It's only you, Homer." I let out a relieved sigh. I didn't know why I was relieved. Maybe I just didn't want my first time to be the result of drunken confusion.

I pushed Homer off of my legs and rolled over. "I overslept!" I shouted as I jumped to my feet. It was already 8:00. I quickly downed the breakfast and headed out the door. My turnips were ready for shipping so I picked them and tossed them into the shipping bin.

By the time I got to the Town Square the festival was just about to begin. Doug noticed me and made his way through the crowd over to me. _"What does he want?" _I asked myself as he approached. My head hurt a little too much to talk to anyone.

"How you doing, Tint?" Doug asked. He seemed to be staring at my face oddly.

"A little hung over, but other than that, I'm good." I replied, wincing at my own voice.

"No physical bruises or anything like that?" That was an odd question.

"No, why do you ask?" I asked.

Doug pulled out a small mirror and handed it to me. I took the mirror and looked at myself. There was a large red handprint across the right side of my face. "Ouch." I grimaced at the sight. "Where'd I get this from?" I inquired.

"Don't know exactly how, but I know that you must've said something to Karen that she didn't like. She wound up and nailed you real good. You were knocked out cold. So me and a couple of guys carried you home."

"Thanks." I looked around the square. The three girls that I knew had rejected me were gathered in the far corner, practicing some last minute moves. They all looked gorgeous in their pink Goddess dresses. A hand reached over my shoulder and turned me around. "Looking for me?" Karen asked. She was stunning in her dress.

"Yes, I was. You here alone?" I might still have a chance to get a date for the day.

"No, I came with Rick." Karen pointed to Rick, who glared jealously at me and Karen. Looks like I end up single.

"About last night..." I began to apologize.

Karen put a finger to my lips. "Don't mention it. I got too drunk to remember any of it. Whatever happened we will forget about, ok?"

"Friends?" I asked as I extended a hand.

"Friends or at least drinking buddies." Karen said before kissing me on the cheek and heading back to Rick.

Doug was still standing beside me. "Player." He commented before walking over to some of the other adults. _"Player. I like that." _I thought with a smile.

Mayor Thomas moved into the center of the square and raised his voice so that everybody could hear. "We are almost ready to begin the Goddess Festival. But we have one small problem. Has anybody seen Elli today?"

The crowd began to murmur to each other. They must have been worried. I made my way to the edge of the square and lifted myself onto the ledge surrounding the place. There was a shaded tree that overlooked the square. After making sure that it wouldn't beat me up I lay down against the tree.

The crowd had grown silent. In the distance I could hear a couple of sets of rushed footsteps make their way towards the square. "Hurry up Elli! We're late!" A little boy called behind him as he made his way into the square. "I'm coming, Stu!"

_"Mage!" _My mind screamed as I sat up in amazement as I watched the beautiful brunette straighten her dress before joining the other girls. The crowd let out a relieved sigh. I could feel my heart speed up as the girls started dancing to some music. This new girl, Elli was surprisingly graceful as she fluttered across the square with ease. With every twirl I caught a glimpse of her beautiful brown eyes that held the most compelling shimmer that I've ever seen. The resemblance between her and Mage was undeniable.

Before I knew it the dance was over. The townspeople had gathered around the girls to offer congratulations. I made my way through the crowd, hoping to get a chance to meet Elli. By the time I made it to the front, she was gone. The sun was setting as I walked my lonely self back home. Tomorrow, I would go meet her.

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_A/N: There you go. I hope nobody is upset with the way I portrayed any of the girls or if Tint came off as too much as a jerk. Thanks for reading and please review. Expect the next chapter Wednesday. Tint out._


	4. Visit to the Clinic

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 4: Visit to the Clinic**

_A/N: Welcome to the fourth episode of what has been declared an amazing success, so far. Once again, thanks. As we last left off, Tint had trouble finding a date for the Goddess Festival, being rejected by every girl in town, save one. That girl is Elli, who very closely resembles Tint's only love in life, Mage, who passed away before he came to Mineral Town. Sounds like the plot of a soap opera._

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**Fire **burned everything around me. At my side is a small harp. Behind me is a staircase leading out of this hell-hole and into the world above. I picked up the harp and plucked the strings. A harmony that belonged to the gods echoed throughout the fire corridors. A shadow floated through the flames and headed towards me. The shadow was Mage.

"Whatever you do, don't look back! If you do, you will lose her forever!" A voice called to me as I began climbing the stairs. No matter how stealthily I walked, there was no sound of steps following me. The burning light of the sun blazed ahead of me. I was nearly at the top.

I was at the final step. Curiosity was tearing at my heart, telling me to look behind me. I couldn't take it any longer. It was only a quick glance over my shoulder, but it was enough. The ground gave way beneath the shadow of Mage, sending her plummeting back into the fires. I watched in horror as the shadow vanished into the flames.

My tears would not extinguish the flames as they scorched their way towards me. I had one last chance to escape, unless I wanted the fire to consume me as well. I took the final step out of the cave and onto the grass. Then I turned around, coming face to face with Mage. She was wearing a pink Goddess dress.

Sweatdripped from my forehead as I bolted awake. My heart was beating ferociously inside of my chest as I looked around the room. _"It was only a dream." _I convinced himself before going back to sleep.

**Before **I knew it the alarm was telling me to wake up. It was lucky that I did not keep my hammer next to the bed. But, the alarm soon joined the hammer in the opposing corner. I stretched a bit before getting out of bed and dressing.

It was going to be a long day, but hopefully it would end well. I had promised myself yesterday, after the festival, that I would go to the Clinic and talk to Elli. There was no way that she looked so similar to Mage, without it being a sign from the Harvest Goddess. Plus, I was going to get the profits from my turnips. _"Money!"_ I thought with an evil smirk as dollar signs rolled into my eyes.

After giving Homer his breakfast, I headed up Mother's Hill. I made sure to keep a wide berth of the demon tree as I collected a bundle of flowers. As I went through the field I made sure to water the plots. I planned on getting a new batch of turnip seeds at the store before dropping by the clinic to meet Elli. It would save time later.

I stood at the entrance to my farm. I looked up at the large sign that I had erected above the entrance. I took one look at the name Mage, gave a salute and prayer, and turned towards town.

**There **I was, standing before the Clinic. My mind screamed at me, telling me to turn back. Memories flashed before me as I reached for the doorknob. I was re-living my life after Mage passed away.

_"Tint, you have to get over her." A friendly voice re-awakened me from my daydream. I looked up into the eyes of my friends. They had come to visit me during my depression period after Mage's death._

_I wiped a few tears from my eyes before replying. "You get over your best friend dying on you. You lose the only person you care for. Then, tell me to get over it."_

_"Ouch..." Is the only response that they utter. They should know that I am not one who takes life kindly. They take one look at each other before taking their leave. There I was, alone once again, the way I liked it. At least the way I liked it when I wasn't with Mage._

_Those couple of days before going to Mineral Town was full of visits from people that I couldn't care less about. Fate had a cruel way of treating those who had everything to live for. I didn't have a hope of finding happiness again. Then I came to Mineral Town with a new hope of love and life._

I shook my head, bringing me back to the real world. Before I could reach for the door, someone opened it from the other side, giving me a nice bump in the head. The world around me became clouded and I passed out.

I slowly opened up my eyes. I found myself lying on my back, with a couple of people surrounding me. There was a dark headed guy, in doctor's garb, shining a bright light in my eyes. Black flashes flickered across my vision as I flinched from the light. "I see your awake." The man says.

"Of course I'm damn well awake. Now quit shining that bloody light in my eye, it hurts." I could hear a chuckle from outside the curtains as the doctor clicked off the flashlight.

"Get back to work, Elli." The doctor called to the reception area. "Yes sir." Elli replied after another chuckle.

"What happened?" I asked as I clutched my forehead. A large padded bandage was across my forehead. I could feel a light trickle of blood drip along my forehead.

"I was headed on my lunch break when I must've opened the door. You got hit pretty hard and passed out." The doctor was washing off his hands as he called back to me.

"Well go ahead and take your lunch. I'll be fine." I ushered the man out the door. He seemed somewhat angry at me as he picked up his cloak and headed out the door.

"You're not like everyone else in this town." Elli stated as she stood at the entrance to the recovery room.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." I said with a smile as I pulled myself into a sitting position.

Another chuckle from her as she approached the bed. "I saw you watching me yesterday at the festival."

I nodded my head as she sat down. "I was just mesmerized by your beauty and grace." I said truthfully.

A bright red color filled her cheeks as she turned her head in embarrassment. "I'm serious. I didn't know that it was humanly possible to do what you did." I figured it would be best if I didn't tell her that she looked like my dead ex-girlfriend. That has a good chance of scaring people away.

"Thanks. I had been practicing every day for a week, trying to perfect the moves." She was still hiding her face from me. She wasn't used to someone telling her that she was amazing.

I pointed over to my rucksack in the corner. "Can you get that for me? I have a few gifts for you in there."

Elli got up and headed over to the bag with interest. She carefully lifted the sack off the ground and handed it to me. I emptied out the contents of the bag before her. Her eyes locked onto the flowers. She gingerly reached out and collected the colorful bundle of flowers. "Are these for me?" She asked as the blushing began to return to her face.

"Only if you want them." I said as casually as I could. Inside, I was jumping for joy at how well this seemed to be going. My pulse quickened even more as she puckered her lips and leaned over me. I closed my eyes as I awaited the tender touch of her lips.

A door slammed open and Elli rushed back towards her desk. I opened my eyes and looked to see who it was. It was the Doctor, back early from his break. I saw him take one look at the flowers in Elli's arms and glare over at me.

"You're fine to go." The Doctor said as he entered my room. I jumped to my feet and tried to push my way passed the man, but he wouldn't let me pass. His voice was low and menacing as he whispered, "You aren't the only man around these parts who is interested in Elli. I offer you fair warning. If you hurt her, I'll be the first to hurt you back."  
I pushed the Doctor aside and headed towards the reception desk. Elli smiled sweetly at me as I kneed beside her. I took hold of her right hand and planted a quick kiss on it. "Till we meet again, fair lady." I turned and headed for the door, taking one last look at Elli and the Doctor, who was steaming.

Back at the farm I made sure to plant the new seeds I had purchased after my visit to the Clinic. It wasn't as bad as I had feared it to be. It was sort of like Mage had directed me in the right course for my future. She always had the ability to do that.

I was in somewhat of a daydream, once again, when the sound of footsteps approached me. I turned around and saw Barley and his granddaughter May lead a small pony into my farm.

"I hear you don't have a horse yet." Barley called out.

"Didn't think I needed one." I called back.

Barley chuckled. "Every farmer needs a horse. Even though this one is lonely, she is sure full of energy and rebelliousness. I thought that she suited you perfectly."

With that the horse reared up and bolted. Barley managed to let go of the reins but the same couldn't be said for May. The pony dragged the poor girl through the dirt of the field. I chased after the renegade horse, hoping to stop her before May got hurt.

Barley and I managed to corner off the frightened horse and girl against the fence. I gently reached forward, making sure not to startle the beast. The horse just stared silently at me, not sure what to do. I placed my hand softly along the head of the horse and brushed lightly, reassuring it that she was safe. Barley quickly collected May and pulled her to safety. "Can I do that again?" She asked as she looked into her grandfather's eyes. The old man shook his head, causing May to pout.

"Whatcha gonna call her?" May asked as if the entire episode hadn't taken place. She couldn't have been hurt or else she would have let us know.

"You mean, that I can have her?" I asked in disbelief.

Barley nodded. "After seeing the way you tamed that wild creature, I knew for sure that you would be the one for her. Call it a late 'Welcoming' gift."

This was unbelievable. In one day I met the girl of my past and got a new member of the farm family. "I think I'll call her Epona." Another of Mage's favorites.

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_A/N: I am sorry about the wait for this chapter. I had fallen really sick last week and couldn't go to school, so I couldn't update. I know it's a little short compared to last chapter, but that one got out of hand. I hope you like the chapter and the name Epona. I figured since Mage loved video games, she might as well have loved Epona form Zelda. Thanks for reading and please review._


	5. First Date and a Jealous Rival

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 5: The First Date and a Jealous Rival**

_A/N: Congrats to Ragin' White Tiger for noticing the reference to the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. This chapter starts off my week of updates. For those who are interested, each of my other fics will be updated this week and I will reveal a new fic. Have a good week and enjoy._

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**"Good **morning!" The alarm clock yells into my ear. I had reprogrammed the clock so that it wouldn't beep at me. "Good morning. Good morning. Good morning." The clock continued. I pressed the button, but the alarm kept going. I hated these things.

Another button press and still no change. I pulled the plug to no avail. A smirk crossed my face when I realized what I was going to have to do. I carefully placed the "Good morning" clock on the ground and headed over to the toolbox. The hammer looked good in my hands as I approached the clock.

Homer noticed my evil intentions and quickly crawled under the covers on the bed. "Good morning." The clock was oblivious to its inevitable demise. The hammer was raised above my head, prepared to descend upon the annoying little machine. I silently counted to three before swinging the tool.

A knock on my door distracted me form destroying the clock. I glanced over towards the door, while the hammer continued its descent. I grimaced in pain as the hammer made a connection with my right foot. I quickly dropped the hammer and began hopping around the room, holding my foot. I made my way over to the door and opened it.

"Good morning, Tint!" Elli smiled sweetly at me. "Good morning!" The clock called back. I was sure that the clock had a smug tone that time.

"Morning to you too." I replied to Elli. Morning was never good for me.

"Mind if I come in?" Elli asked.

I beckoned Elli inside. Homer uncovered himself from his hideout and nervously approached the visitor. Elli knelt over and gave the dog a pat. This seemed to gain Homer's trust. Elli sat down at the table and looked expectantly at me.

"What are you doing here? Don't you have to work?" I asked.

"Nope, today's Wednesday. The Clinic is closed today. I was actually wondering if you would like to do something today." Elli responded. I couldn't believe it. Just yesterday we had met, and here she was, at my house, asking me out.

"Of course! I'd love to. Just give me some time to do my morning chores." I replied.

"Is their anything I can do?" Elli inquired.

I thought for a moment. Then an idea came to me. "You can check in on my horse, Epona. She's in the stable down past the barn." I said as I pointed in the direction.

"You have a horse!" Elli stated in disbelief. "I love horses! I'll go right away!"

I watched as Elli got up and prepared to follow her. "Good morning." I had forgotten about the clock. This time I didn't make a mistake on my swing. I would clean up the pieces later.

Elli and I proceeded outside. I went around and watered the crops. Once finished, I headed over to the stable to check in on Elli and Epona. I found Elli gingerly taking care of the horse. "What was it that you wanted to do?" I asked as I watched Elli.

Elli stopped what she was doing and looked at me. "It's still early. We could head down to the pier and watch the sun rise over the ocean." Elli said, clearly hinting that was what she would love to do.

"Great idea. We better get going if we want to catch the sunrise." I stated.

The walk to the beach was quite uneventful. We did manage to draw a couple of stares from Rick and Popuri as we passed by the Poultry Farm. I could tell that Popuri was jealous. _"Her problem. I gave her a chance a few days ago and she passed." _I thought. I didn't really mind that much, I had found the perfect girl and she was right beside me.

A few minutes later, and we were sitting at the end of the pier. You could just see a sliver of the morning sun peaking above the hilltops in the distance. I was wondering where exactly in the world Mineral Town was located. My brain was attempting to figure out the problem. Since we were located along the ocean and the sun was rising over the water, I had to be across the Pacific. I was so busy figuring out my problem I hardly even realized that Elli had rested her head against my shoulder.

I finally noticed Elli's presence and wrapped my arm around her. "Beautiful." I commented.

"It sure is." She replied.

"Don't you think highly of yourself."

Elli looked up at me, surprised by my response. I looked back at her, staring deep into her gorgeous brown eyes. I placed my hand against her cheek and pulled her face close to mine. She closed her eyes and puckered her lips, awaiting the meeting of our lips. _"This is going perfectly!" _I thought. We were just mere inches apart. "Am I interrupting something?" A voice stated from behind us.

Elli quickly pulled away from my grasp. We looked behind us to see a familiar face. It was Doctor Tim. The jerk must have followed us and was here to make sure I didn't try anything funny.

"I'm sorry, Tint. I should head home. Stu needs me to take care of him." Elli explained as she got to her feet. She bid both of us farewell and headed back into town. The doctor watched her go with a smile. "She is one hell of a woman." He commented once she was out of earshot.

I gave him an evil glare. He was really starting to piss me off. I got to my feet and approached him. I placed a hand on his shoulder and turned him around. "I know what you're doing and I don't like it. Just because Elli likes me more than you doesn't mean that you try to ruin our relationship." I told him flatly.

He smirked at me. "Don't worry. Before you know it, Elli will be with me and will have totally forgotten about you."

"I wouldn't count on it. If you try anything funny I will be introducing you to my fist." My people skills were working in top form.

"You can't threaten me. Remember, I am probably the most powerful man in this town. If I felt like it, I could convince half the town to vote you out. Then, Elli would have nobody but me to love."

His threat was serious. If I got into a fight with him, I would be gone, never getting a chance to see Elli any more. She would probably hate me. This complicated things. I was left with my trump card. "Maybe I don't care if the town gets destroyed. Maybe Elli would be willing to leave town with me. What would you do if she was gone?"

Tim seemed to be caught off-guard by this. He didn't know that I was bluffing. "Fine. You win. But remember, the second you screw up, I will be there." He spat at my feet and headed down the pier. This was going to be a good day.

**Later **that day, at the bar, I was thinking over the events so far. Unfortunately, they didn't serve alcohol until later and it was only noon. This would be a good time for a drink.

Doug looked across the counter at me. "Don't be so upset over Tim screwing up your first kiss with Elli. The two of you are getting along so well that I guarantee that you'll get another chance before the week is over." He stated as he set down a glass of water before me.

I was dumbfounded. "How do you know already?"

"News travels pretty fast in this town. Elli stopped in after it happened and was pretty torn up about it."

"Did she say anything else?" I inquired hoping that she had mentioned something good about me.

"As a matter of fact, she didn't, at least that she mentioned to me. You might want to ask her personally."

"Do you know where I can find her?" I questioned as I got to my feet.

"She said she was taking Stu and May to play somewhere on Mother's Hill. You'll probably find her up there."

"Thanks."

**A **little while later and I was climbing the hill. I was determined to make up for Tim's interruption earlier that day. Hopefully I wasn't too late to catch up with Elli and the kids.

I was making my way along the path. I could hear the sound of May and Stu playing above me. I didn't pay much attention to them and sped up my trek. Then I heard a scream come from above me. I looked up and saw Stu trip over the edge. Elli and May screamed "STU!!!"

Stu was falling behind me. I wasn't sure if I could catch him. I dove out towards him. I struck the ground and slid a small distance. Something landed on my shoulder, knocking the breath out of me. I looked back and was relieved to see that it was Stu. He got up off my back and looked up at Elli and May. "I'm ok! Mr. Tint saved me!" Stu called.

I coughed as I attempted to get up off the ground. My left shoulder really hurt. I tried to push myself up but couldn't move my arm. Elli and May were making their way down the hill to check up on us. Stu realized that I was having trouble getting up. He grabbed hold of my shoulder and tried to pull me up. I cried out in pain.

Elli knelt at my side once she reached me. She took one look at my shoulder, which I couldn't see, and grimaced audibly. That couldn't be good. "Stu can you go find Tim and tell him to open the Clinic. May, go get some ice from Gotz." The two children rushed away. Once again I tried to get up but couldn't. "Don't try to get up. I don't know what you broke but it's something in your left arm near the shoulder."

"Was Stu ok?" I asked. I didn't want her to know how much pain I was actually in.

"As far as I could tell, he was fine. How are you doing?" She was really worried about me.

"It doesn't hurt that much." I lied.

Elli rolled me over to my back, making sure not to touch my bad shoulder. She then helped me to my feet. May came running up with a big bag of ice. Elli proceeded to take me to the Clinic.

The door was still locked when we got there. Stu came running up to us. "Doctor Tim said that he couldn't open the Clinic today. He had some very important family matters."

"Lying jerk." I whispered under my breath. I shrugged off Elli's help and approached the door. With one strong kick the door came crashing down. Elli rushed over to the operating table and beckoned for me to lie down. "We are going to have to set the bone quickly before it lodges in its current state. I'm not sure if I can do this by myself." She admitted.

"We can help!" May called out from the waiting area.

"NO!" Both me and Elli yelled. I didn't want some little kids digging around inside of me.

"Don't worry. I believe that you can do a good job just by yourself." I said encouragingly. I reached up with my good arm and placed it reassuringly on hers.

Elli smiled. She leaned over the table and planted a kiss on my lips. Then she placed the oxygen mask over my face. I blacked out.

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_A/N: I am not entirely sure if the medical details of this chapter are correct. I have never had an operation of this sort and am unsure if this is how it is carried out. If anyone knows please tell me and I will come back to fix this chapter. Other than that, I hope you enjoyed this rather short chapter and are eagerly awaiting the next. Till then, Tint out._


	6. The Trial

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 6: The Trial**

_A/N: Thanks to everyone who gave me input when I asked for it. It goes to show you how friendly Harvest Moon fans actually are. I hope that if any of you have read my Zelda fic you don't hate me too much._

_As I last left off, Tint and Elli had their first date. They were about to have their first kiss when the Dr. Tim interrupts them. After an argument with Tim, Tint heads off to apologize to Elli. Tint was in the right place at the right time and saved Stu's life, but broke something in his arm during the process. Elli and Tint broke into the Clinic to operate on Tint. Elli kissed Tint and that's where I left off._

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**The **date was Monday, the sixteenth of Spring. It was six days after the incident passed. I found out that not only had I dislocated my shoulder, I had broken part of the shoulder blade. That explains the huge cast that surrounded my upper arm and shoulder area. I hadn't been able to do many of the chores around the farm so I asked Chef if he could get some of the other Harvest Sprites to come help me until my arm healed.

The Harvest Sprites were a great help. Over the last five days I had tripled the amount of crops that I was growing. The field was nearly entirely cleared out, save for the giant boulders and tree stumps. I made enough money to purchase my first chicken, which I named Mini Me. I also bought a brush for Epona.

Elli made sure to stop by every day to make me lunch. She had ordered me not to do any stressful activities until my arm healed. That would be in about two more weeks. Today was her birthday and I had planned something special for tonight.

Rumors had been flying around the town about what really happened six days ago. Apparently, Tim had charged me with breaking and entering. He had convinced Mayor Thomas to hold a town meeting to decide if I was too dangerous to stay in Mineral Town. Sixteen days in, and I already was teetering on the edge of being banished. I really needed to work on my people skills.

The town was clearly torn over who to support. On one hand was the Doctor. He had seniority in this town over me. People trusted him. Then there was me. The new person, who nobody knew much about. But, the fate of the town rested on my broken shoulders.

The trial had been set for today in the Town Square at noon. I got dressed in my best clothes. Well, maybe best clothes means the one outfit that I was wearing when I showed up here. _"The next thing I need to buy is a couple of new outfits. And maybe a clothes washer. These things are starting to stink." _It's weird how I hadn't been bothered by this before. Maybe I wanted to look presentable on what could be my last day here.

I left instructions with Chef about what needed to be done. I had a couple of hours before I was escorted to the trial by Officer Harris. I made my way up to the Hot Springs. A bath would calm my nerves. Inside the changing room I stripped and headed into the Springs. I needed to be quick. Popuri and Ann usually spent a few hours here every morning.

I submerged myself in the water, ensuring that I didn't get the cast wet. The warm water relaxed my body. It was so peaceful in here. I must have dozed off because before I knew it my watch read ten. I carefully looked around to make sure nobody was near. The girls must have come and gone while I was sleeping.

I got out of the Springs and quickly wrapped a towel around my waist. I didn't want a count of public indecency to be added to the charges against me. I ducked into the changing room. I looked over to the bench where I had left my clothes, but they weren't there.

This was a real dilemma. I didn't have any other clothes and I was scheduled for trial in just under two hours. Everyone else in town would probably already be there so I didn't have anyone to ask if they had any spare clothes for me to wear. Plus, I didn't want to go door to door wearing only a towel.

I decided to make a mad dash towards my farm. Silently, I counted to ten before darting out of the changing room. A gust of wind struck me as soon as I stepped out of the shack. The next thing I knew, my towel went flying through the air. I loudly cursed before continuing my sprint home.

I was relieved when I discovered that the Harvest Sprites had left early. That practically made it a clear path to my front door. The only thing remaining was if somebody showed up at my farm. I wasn't expecting anybody until Harris showed up to take me to the trial.

My heart pounded as I snuck behind my buildings. I had made it to the house without incident. I took a look towards town. I could see an empty path all the way down to the Library. I let out a relieved sigh as I headed around front and dashed inside. I slammed the door behind me and locked it. I realized my mistake when I saw Elli staring silently at me, her mouth open in amazement. "I can explain..." I began to explain as I covered myself up with anything in reach.

Elli's face turned a bright red as she tried to hide her face. She quickly undid her apron and tossed it to me. "Thanks." I said sheepishly as I tied up the strings.

"I was just stopping by to wish you good luck today." Elli admitted. Her face was still red as she pushed past me and out the door.

_"I am so going home." _I thought. Today couldn't get much worse. The only thing remaining was for the verdict to be passed and I would be on my way home tomorrow morning. To top it off, Elli probably hated me after that little stint. Then there was a knock on the door.

I opened the door only a bit and peered outside. It was Harris. In his hands was a stack of clothes. "I found these earlier this morning down on the beach and I thought they may be yours." He explained as he passed the clothes to me.

"Thanks. I'll be out shortly. Just give me some time to get changed." I shut the door and quickly got changed. I folded up the apron and placed it in my rucksack. Then I joined Officer Harris outside. He pulled my arms behind me back and handcuffed me. "Standard procedure." He explained. I understood only too well. I was considered a criminal.

**Officer **Harris led me along the back path towards the Square. My heart practically stopped as I was pushed into the Town Square. There was a row of benches where most of the citizens in town were seated. There was a long bench where the jury of nine was seated. Mayor Thomas was seated at the front of the setup. Before him were Dr. Tim and my spot.

I looked over the crowd. I spotted Elli, who was surrounded by the other girls. Elli appeared to be telling them a joke because they were all laughing. She held her hands up in the air and spread them apart. This caused the other girls to burst out laughing. I knew what they were talking about.

I stopped and whispered to Harris. "Can you get the apron out of my rucksack and give it to Elli?"

Harris complied. When he handed the apron over to Elli, she was surprised. She looked over at me and beckoned me to head over. I asked Harris if it was ok, but he shook his head no. By now, everybody had realized that I was present and every pair of eyes was set on me. I could feel an assortment of hatred and understanding coming from the crowd.

"Happy birthday, Elli!" I called out as I was pushed to my spot. I could hear the girls murmur excitedly to each other. Apparently they had thought I had forgotten her birthday.

"Quiet down everybody! We should get started." Mayor Thomas announced. "I should make things clear to everybody. We are gathered here to decide if Tint here should be banned from Mineral Town because of his actions on the tenth of this month. But first we need to clarify the events of that day. After hearing the evidence the jury will vote on if Tint stays or goes. Majority will win. Is this understood?"

Mayor Thomas looked around the gathered people. Everyone nodded as he looked at them. I looked over at the jury and my hopes dropped a bit more. The jury consisted of Siabara, Pastor Carter, Sasha, Zach, Won, Manna, and Louis. I had only met three of the seven jury members and of the three I could count on two to vote for me to stay.

"First, I'd like to call Doctor Tim to the witness stand." Thomas announced.

Tim stood up and walked over to the chair beside Mayor Thomas. I could hear the girls boo him. I smiled. At least the girls wanted me to stay. Tim sat down and glared at me. He obviously didn't want me to stay.

"Can you give us your account as to the activities of that day?" Thomas asked.

Tim cleared his throat. "Of course I can. I slept in that day until about ten, since the Clinic was closed. I went over to the Poultry Farm to check up on Lillia. I stayed there until about two. Then, I headed over to the Library to study up on a few things. I finished up there around five and went to the Clinic to get some pills for a headache that had developed over the day. I found the place a mess. The door had been broken down, the operating room was a mess, and all my files tossed around the place like a tornado had torn through the place. I immediately suspected that it was Tint who had done this. Ever since the day we met, he's been threatening to do something like this to me."

I couldn't believe it. He was flat out lying and it appeared that people believed it. Mayor Thomas proceeded to call up Lillia and Mary to confirm Tim's story. The two witnesses confirmed what the Doctor had indeed been at those locations during the times that he said.

"We have heard the Doctor's side of the story. Now, can Tint please approach the stand and relate his half of the story." Thomas kept the trial going.

I stood up and waited for Harris to take off the handcuffs. Instead, Harris led me to the stand and sat me down. Having my hands bound behind my back was tugging on my shoulder and was causing me a lot of pain. Thomas saw me in pain and ordered Harris to take off the cuffs. I stood back up and smiled as Harris took off the handcuffs. I sat down, rubbing the cast.

"Tint, give us your side of the story." Thomas ordered.

"Gladly." I said with a smile. "First, I'll like to set the record straight. Tim is a lying jerk that is obsessed with Elli. He is not a safe person to trust with your personal health. I don't think that he is qualified to be a doctor."

Tim jumped up out of his chair and charged me. I could see a twisted look of hatred in his eyes as he pointed a finger at me. "You have no right smearing my good reputation with your lies!" He yelled in my face.

"Enough! Go back to your seat, Doctor!" Thomas ordered.

"And you can do it to me? You are nothing more than a sick twisted psychopath who gets upset when someone tries to take away whatever they are obsessed with." I let every word sink in. I saw Harris and Doug carefully approaching us, ready to split up a fight if one erupted.

I must have pushed the right button because Tim wound up and released a punch at me. I stood still as Tim's fist struck my face. I had won the mental battle against him.

Harris quickly approached the Doctor and placed a pair of handcuffs on him. "I want to charge him with assault." I stated as Harris led Tim back to his seat.

"Enough! If you would please just state your story so that we can reach a decision." Thomas was growing tired of these events. The crowd was starting to realize that it could be possible that Tim was the dangerous one out of the two of us.

This time I was going to tell the people exactly what happened. "That morning, Elli had stopped by around half past six. The two of us did some chores before heading down to the pier to watch the sunrise. We were about to kiss when Tim interrupted us. Elli left, leaving Tim and me to discuss things. He threatened to do exactly this. The first time he could, he would try to get me kicked out of town. After that I went to the Inn and talked with Doug. He convinced me to go find Elli and apologize for the Doctor's interruption. I found Elli with May and Stu. Stu fell off the cliff and I dived to save him. That's how I wrecked my shoulder. Elli sent Stu to find Tim and open up the Clinic. By the time we got to the Clinic, Stu had reported that Tim wouldn't open the Clinic. That's why I broke into the Clinic, but I did not cause the mess. We got out of there around seven that night. Tim never did show up at the Clinic."

The crowd erupts in a series of whispered conversations. Mayor Thomas proceeds to call Elli and Doug to the stand. They both confirmed my story. This seemed to make Thomas' decision all that much tougher. He thought over all the information that had been given so far over the two hour period that this trial had taken. "I think that it is clear. There is no way to prove which story is correct, since it is a case of he says versus he says. Tim and Tint cannot get along and have no hopes of reconciliation. They are both violent individuals that could pose as trouble for this community. I think that we are going to have to ask one of these two to leave. Do either of you volunteer?"

"Nope." "No way." We both responded.

"Then we are going to have to vote on it. Jury, it's time to vote. Each of you will write either Tint or Tim on a slip of paper. Whoever has more votes will be leaving tomorrow."

I watched as the jury members went over to a table with pen, paper, and a box. Each one silently wrote a name on the paper and placed the paper into the box. After voting, each one went back to their seat. Once the final member voted Mayor Thomas went over and brought the box in front of us. "Remember that once the vote has been tallied, the person who receives the most votes will be asked to leave Mineral Town. The vote will be final and cannot be reversed."

I silently prayed as Thomas opened up the box and pulled out the first sheet. "Tint." Thomas announced as he showed us the paper.

My heart sunk even more. Obviously, someone still trusted the Doctor more than me. I was a threat. "Tint." Thomas read from the second piece of paper.

I looked back at the crowd. I could see tears forming in Elli's eyes. The girls were trying to console her. They all held each others hands in support. I caught hold of Elli's glance and mouthed "I love you" to her.

"Tint." Thomas stated once again. One more of those and I'll be headed back to my real home. I didn't want to go back. I liked it here too much. I smiled hopefully as Elli whispered back "I love you." I looked over at Tim, who was sitting calmly as I neared banishment.

"Tim." The Doctor angered slightly as his name was called out. I felt slightly better. At least one person was on my side.

"Tim." I silently celebrated. Maybe I had a chance of staying after all. Once again I looked back at Elli, who had wiped away the tears and had a look of hope across her face.

"Tim." Now it was his turn to worry. The name that appeared on the next sheet would be boarding the first ship to stop by Mineral Town tomorrow morning. They would have to go home and pack their bags.

Everyone held their breath as Thomas pulled out the final sheet of paper. He slowly turned the paper around to show the crowd. At first he only showed us the 'Ti' on the sheet. I lowered my head as Thomas turned the paper fully around. A mix of gasps and cheers sounded as they read the name.

"Tim." He finally announced. I breathed a sigh of relief and pumped my fist in celebration. Elli quickly jumped out of chair and ran up to me. She wrapped her arms around me in a giant hug.

Doctor Tim was standing in silent dismay. It must have hurt to be banished from your home, but I thought that he deserved to go. He could find somewhere else to live and work. While me, on the other hand, had nothing else.

Quite a few people had gathered around to congratulate me. I was receiving pats on the back and praise for standing up to Tim. Apparently he had caused trouble with some of the other people before. The only difference was that I had the guts to confront him.

"Excuse me, Elli. Since we no longer have a doctor are you willing to take Tim's spot?" Thomas asked from his podium.

Elli looked surprised. "I don't know..."

"Go ahead. You can do it. You did a good job on my shoulder. I think that you'd make a great doctor." I whispered into her ear.

Elli smiled at my advice. "Sure, I'll do it." She announced.

Everyone began heading their separate ways. Soon it was just myself, Elli, Thomas, and Tim. I made my way over to Tim and extended my hand. "I'm sorry that it came to this." I admitted.

"Get away from me. I will never forgive this town for doing this to me." Tim pushed away my hand as he headed towards his home.

Thomas approached me. "We have never had to kick anybody out of town. I just apologize for having to put you through this. I believe your story over his. We all know that when you broke your arm, you were in an emergency. Tim had no right refusing you treatment."

"Thank you, Mayor Thomas." I shook his hand before he left the square. The time was already three. It seemed like it had all been a waste of time. But I was thankful that I was still a member of this community.

Only me and Elli remained in the town square. We embraced again. "Did you mean it?" She asked.

"Mean what?" I asked back.

"When you said I love you."

"Of course I meant it." I replied as I held onto her.

"I meant it also." She whispered back. She looked up at me, her face red from blushing. "About earlier..."

"Someone stole my clothes." I stated causing her to laugh.

"At least now I don't need to go to a strip club for my eighteenth birthday." She joked causing us both to laugh. "_I wonder if the same thing would happen on my birthday."_ I thought with an evil smirk.

Elli noticed the smirk on my face. "What is it?" She asked.

"Oh, nothing." I lied.

"Come on, tell me." Elli said sweetly.

"Fine, I'll tell you. I was just wondering if I get to see you naked on my birthday." I replied.

Elli seemed caught off guard. "You'll just have to wait and see." She said seductively before planting a kiss on my lips. She broke the kiss after a few seconds and waved goodbye. I stood by myself for a couple of minutes. I was thankful that I was staying here, where I belonged.

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_A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I am required at this point to state that I do not own the voting process on 'Survivor'. I hope that I didn't push the rating with this chapter, but I think I'm within bounds. Once again, thanks for reading, thanks for input, and keep those reviews coming! Thanks, Tint out._


	7. Happy Birthday Tint

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 7: Happy Birthday Tint**

_A/N: Welcome to the weekly update of Gamer To Farmer. Every week, on Mondays, I will update a new chapter. Depending on how much work I have for school, a second chapter may show up on Fridays. Please view my profile for a complete listing of review times and dates. Thanks for reading and for all the reviews._

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**Mineral **Town had been a bustle of activity over the past week and a bit. Today was the twenty-seventh, my eighteenth birthday. It was exactly eleven days since the trail had occurred, where I nearly was sent home. I had been lucky, dodging the bullet by one vote, which sent Doctor Tim packing.

Nobody saw Tim leave. Elli showed up at work as the new doctor the next day and had found all of Tim's possessions gone. Some say he left very early that morning. Others say that he had vanished into the wilderness and was living off the wild. I didn't really care, even though he had threatened to get his revenge.

An unfortunate event had befallen Elli and her family. Ellen, her grandmother, had fallen extremely ill. It turned out that Ellen had cancer. Elli moved the family into the second story of the Clinic, ensuring that Ellen would receive the proper care. Elli was pretty torn up about the incident, so I made sure that I was there to offer a shoulder to cry on.

According to Doctor Elli's diagnosis, Ellen had a pretty good chance of surviving. Doctor Elli. It had taken me a day or two to get used to calling her that. Elli actually surprised herself and the entire village by proving she was a very competent doctor.

Poor Stu had nobody to play with. Elli was too busy and Ellen was sick. I had volunteered to take care of Stu during the day. Quite often May tagged along with us. I took the kids all around town. But the thing they liked most was playing with my animals.

My shoulder was healing nicely. Elli guessed that I could remove the cast by the end of Spring. It would be good to actually do the work around Mage's Farm instead of watching the Harvest Sprites. The Harvest Sprites had done a wonderful job. I tried to help where I could, but wasn't of much use. I counted almost thirty sections of crops growing. Everything would be ready to harvest before the end of the season.

As payment for all of their work, I was going to get something sent from my home. After all, the Harvest Sprites had given up their tea party to help me. I made a phone call home one day. Luckily, it was Neil who answered the phone. Out of everyone, he was the one I got along with most. I explained the situation and he agreed to send the item I requested.

A few days later, the item arrived. The Sprites were overjoyed, especially after seeing the logos on the box. Starbucks and Tim Horton's. Ironically, they never did show up to work the next day. I never did figure that one out.

Business was booming and the profits were rolling in. I already had three chickens with a fourth on the way. The chicken coop expansion would be finished tomorrow, according to Gotz. I already had purchased the largest rucksack from Jeff. Chances are that by the end of the season I would have enough money to upgrade all of my tools and buy a cow. Not a bad start.

**The **morning of my birthday had arrived. I ate breakfast, fed Homer and headed outside. The Harvest Sprites were just arriving. Each one carried a thermos, which they placed inside of Homer's doghouse. Maybe I shouldn't have introduced this new tea into their system. They were pretty addicted to the stuff. At least three times a day, one of them would collect the thermoses, head home, and come back with refills.

I gave Epona a brush as she went galloping by. She had grown a small bit since I got her and was just as energetic. Next, I fed the chickens and placed the eggs into the shipping bin. All part of the daily routine that I had developed.

I made my way to the Clinic. I opened the door and walked inside. "Morning Elli. Morning Stu." I called out.

"Good morning, Tint!" Stu yelled as he came bolting down the stairs and out the door. I could hear Elli coming down the stairs.

"Where is he off to so early?" I asked when Elli came into sight.

"Apparently Kai is coming today." Elli replied as she began sifting through a medical cabinet.

"Who's Kai? I don't think I've seen him yet." I questioned. I took hold of a tray of medical instruments that Elli nearly knocked over.

"He's just some jerk that shows up for the Summer, pisses off quite a few of the villagers, and leaves once the first leaf falls. I think you two might get along." Elli stated sarcastically.

"Me? Get along with someone?" I stated just as sarcastically. Elli quickly turned around and glared at me. I just smiled innocently back at her until I got her to laugh.

"I can't stay mad at you." She stated before giving me a kiss. "Come back after I'm done work today. We'll do something for your birthday then, ok?"

"Sure thing." I kissed her goodbye and left the Clinic.

**I **found myself at the bar. Surprising how I always go there when I have nothing else to do. During my time at the bar, I had observed quite a lot about the relationships in this village. Most of these observations were made with Doug's help. I must have been his second best customer. Take a wild guess as to who his best customer was.

I noticed that it was almost always Rick who would come get Karen when she got tipsy. Then he would usually glare at me and the shot glasses that had accumulated in front of me. I hope Elli understood that there was nothing going on between myself and Karen. At least nothing that we could remember.

Doug was clear to point out that sparks were flying between Ann and Cliff. They couldn't tell, but we could. Neither of them seemed to be willing to ask the other out. That changed one day when Doug forced them on a date. Ever since then, they have been more open with each other.

Today Doug had something else on his mind. He seemed to be in a bad mood. "What's the matter?" I asked as I sat down at the counter.

"Ah! A customer! At least there's someone in this town who has good taste when it comes to food." Doug stated.

"I take it business has been slow today." I commented.

Doug set down a plate of food before me. "Kai decided to show up early this year. He owns a little café of sorts down at the beach. Usually he doesn't open until Summer begins, but this year he opened up early. I always have lower business when he's around."

"At least you'll have Karen and me on weekends." I said with a laugh.

Doug chuckled. "Thank the Goddess for that. You two provide me with half of my weekly profit."

"I think I should pay this Kai a visit." I commented as I got up from my seat. I paid Doug for the food and left.

**Next, **I headed to the beach, where Kai was supposed to be. I felt obligated to meet someone that caused so much trouble around town. I found him sitting in front of his store. He was talking with May, Stu, and Popuri. I could see that Popuri was obviously attracted to this guy. In my opinion he looked gay in his purple headband.

Stu noticed me approaching. "Hey Tint. This is Kai."

Kai extended his hand to me. "I've heard quite a bit about you, Tint."

"Likewise." I replied as I shook his hand. It was weird that my reputation preceded me. I was used to being the unknown.

"Think that your arm will be healed before Opening Day?" Kai asked. "It would be good to have some decent competition this year."

Popuri noticed that I looked somewhat confused. "The Opening Day festival is when we celebrate Summer. All the guys in town have a swimming race."

I nodded my head in recognition. "It should he good before then."

Stu and May suddenly got very excited. "I bet you a gold piece that Kai will beat Tint." May called out.

"No way! Tint can beat Kai with one arm tied behind his back!" Stu bragged.

"Oh yeah! Prove it!" May challenged.

"Fine! I will. Tint go swim!" Stu ordered.

I walked over to Stu with a smirk. I picked up the kid with my good arm and headed towards the ocean with him tucked below my arm. "Wait! What are you doing with me!?!" Stu began to squirm as I took off my shoes at the waters edge.

"I'm proving something." I stated as I stepped into the water. I could hear the others laughing behind me as Stu struggled in vain to free himself.

I grabbed hold of Stu's feet and dangled him above the water. Slowly, I lowered him towards the water. "Don't you dare get me wet! I'll tell Elli!"

"And what will you tell her? That I took you swimming? Good luck." The next thing I knew, someone had tackled me at my legs. The blow caused me to drop Stu as I fell face first into the water. The water wasn't that deep so I quickly sat up. I looked behind me and saw May's beaming face.

Stu quickly got to his feet beside me. "I'm telling Elli!" He called out as he splashed away from me. I got up and began chasing after him. May was hot on our tails as we ran up the beach.

I found myself chasing Stu all the way to the Clinic. He had a good enough head start on me that he got inside and slammed the door behind him. I pulled open the door and rushed inside. Instantly, I stopped, seeing Elli glaring at both of us. We were both entirely soaking wet and were creating a large puddle under our feet. "Who started this?" Elli asked.

I looked over at Stu, who immediately pointed at me. I pointed back at the accusing child. May came running into the Clinic and immediately noticed Stu and me pointing at each other. She instinctively pointed at both of us as we pointed at her. Elli just shook her head.

"Stu go upstairs and get ready for supper." Elli ordered. Stu ran up the stairs leaving a trail of water behind him.

"Can I stay?" May asked.

"Sure you can. Just run home and tell your Grandpa what you are doing." Elli agreed. It was May's turn to run off.

"What about me?" I asked.

"You can just go home. I'll be there in an hour." Elli said with a smile.

"See you then." I replied.

**Exactly **an hour later there was a knock at my door. I walked over to the door, opened it and was surprised by what I saw. It was Elli, just as I had expected, but it was the way that she was dressed that had me surprised. Gone was the doctor's cloak, apron, and simple dress. Now, she was dressed in a low cut blue tank top and a pair of jean shorts.

"Wow, you sure look different." I whistled.

"You like? Figured you would like something a little more like what the girls back at home wore." Elli explained as she smiled sweetly at me.

"Well actually, I'm from Canada. The girls all wear parkas and snow suits most of the time." I commented jokingly.

"Canada. Where's that?" Elli replied just as sarcastically.

"Ouch... harsh." I shook my head as I stepped outside. "So, where did you want to go?"

Elli pointed up Mother's Hill. "There's actually a secluded spot up there that we could go to."

"Why would you want to go to a secluded are?" I asked with a smirk, hoping that I would be getting repayment for her birthday gift.

"You'll find out when we get there." A simple reply that had me wondering.

**Elli **had apparently set up the area earlier. A picnic had been set up beneath the night sky. Upon seeing the bottles of wine and booze I was immediately happy. Elli sat down and cracked open one of the beers for herself. I flopped down beside her and downed a drink.

"I have some questions for you that I need answering." Elli stated bluntly.

I groaned. "Like what?"

"First of all, is the only reason that you love me that fact that I look like your dead girlfriend Mage?" Elli was serious.

I had no idea how she had found out about that. I had been dreading this question ever since I had met Elli. "I won't lie. Truthfully, the reason I was attracted to you at first was the fact that you did look like her. But, since then, I have fallen in love with you, not her looks."

"That's a good enough answer for me." She replied as she leaned over and kissed me.

Suddenly the bushes behind us began to rustle. I jumped to my feet and headed over. Crouching behind the bushes were Stu and May. I smiled triumphantly as I grasped hold of the two children and hauled them out of their hiding spot. "And what are you two doing here?" I asked sternly.

"Nothing." Stu lied as he began struggling to break free.

"That's right. Nothing." May agreed.

"Does Grandma know you followed us?" Elli asked.

"Uhhhh... no." Stu replied.

"That means that she's probably worried sick about you. Go home this instant and apologize." I set the two kids home and watched as they took off down the path. "Now, where were we?" I asked as I turned back to Elli.

Elli pulled me down beside her. "Second question. How serious are you about this relationship?"

Someone must have had a good talk with her about me. Normally she didn't ask me anything more than simple questions about the farm. "I'm willing to take it as far as you are willing to go." I answered.

Once again the bushes rustled. I got back up to my feet and headed over to the shrubs. "For the last time, May and Stu, go home!" I shouted.

"I have no intention of going home." A voice from the shadows replied. The person got up to their feet. I could hardly recognize Tim based upon his wild appearance. But, I could clearly make out the gun in his hand.

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_A/N: That can't be good. What is Tim planning on doing? What will happen to Tint and Elli? Find out next Monday._


	8. The Doctor's Revenge

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 8: The Doctor's Revenge**

_A/N: Wow, a lot has happened since I last updated. The Red Sox removed the Curse and I went out on a date with the real life Mage! Happy eighteenth birthday, Mage! And it is all thanks to this story. I know in the story she died, but the real one is still alive and fighting her cancer. Keep fighting the good fight! I wish to thank you all for your support of this story. It means a lot to me and Mage. On a different note, I am somewhat embarrassed by my choice of Halloween costume. I will admit that I dressed up as Jack. I have uploaded the picture on my 1up page. I have provided the link as my homepage in my profile. Please don't laugh too much. On a serious note, I will now continue where I last left off, with Elli and Tint at gunpoint._

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**"I** have no intention of going home." A voice from the shadows replied. The person got up to their feet. I could hardly recognize Tim based upon his wild appearance. But, I could clearly make out the gun in his hand.

Elli quickly hid behind me. This action only increased the anger in the Doctor's eyes. He looked like a madman who had escaped from the mental institute. His eyes darted back and forth between me and Elli. "What are you doing here?" I worked up the nerve to ask.

"I told you that I would get my revenge against you. Because of you, I lost everything I had in my life; my job, my friends, and my dignity. Now, I will return the favor to you." He motioned with his gun for me to separate myself from Elli.

I complied with his orders. Elli clung to me as I pulled away from her grasp. Tim stepped forward and delivered a kick to Elli's side. I almost attacked him, but he quickly turned the gun on me. Elli lay on the ground, whimpering in pain. "You didn't need to do that." I said, clearly angered by the incident.

"Oh, but I did. I will teach Elli to beg for forgiveness for choosing you over me. You should know that she always loved me more that she could ever love you." Tim announced.

"We've been through this argument before. She can't stand you! You are a creep and she would never lower her standards to accommodate you!" I yelled at Tim. Hopefully, I could make enough noise to attract the attention of a wandering villager.

"Be quiet!" Tim ordered as he grabbed hold of my bad shoulder and tossed me to the ground. I winced as my shoulder crashed against the earth. Elli had gotten up and was about to rush over to my side when Tim stopped her. He grabbed hold of her and pointed the gun to her head.

"I will ask you once, and only once. Who do you love more, me or Tint?" Tim whispered in her ear as he placed his arm around her neck. He had Elli hostage.

Elli looked over at me as I climbed to my feet. I could see a look in her eyes that said she was sorry for what she was about to do. My heart beat rapidly as Elli prepared to give her answer. I had a bad feeling that this wasn't going to turn out good.

Elli swallowed against the pressure that Tim was exerting on her neck. "Tim, I won't lie to you." She began. During the entire time she kept her eye locked on mine. "The one I love most, out of you two, is Tint."

"No! Stupid girl!" Tim yelled as he shoved Elli to the ground. He placed the gun against the back of her head. He was breathing heavily as he tightened his grip on the gun.

I saw my chance. I ran forward and dove towards Tim. Elli began to duck as I flew above her. I made contact with the doctor and drove him back. The sound of the gun firing made shivers run down my spine. Tim and I hit the ground in a heap. I noticed that the gun had fallen to the ground. He was the first one to get up and immediately began attacking me.

Fists flew in a flurry as we traded blows. He had the upper hand because of my bad shoulder. For every punch I landed, he hit with two. My heart stopped when I glanced over at Elli. She was laying face first on the ground and wasn't moving.

The Doctor noticed that I was momentarily distracted and took the opportunity to land a blow squarely against my jaw. Nearly instantly, I fell to the ground. My world was fading fast. The last thing I heard before falling unconscious was another gun shot.

**"It **is onlya dream, Brett." A voice told me. I opened my eyes and found myself floating. Everything around me was pitch black.

"Where am I?" I demanded as I looked about the empty space.

"You are where you've always been." The voice replied.

"And where is that? Where's Elli?" I yelled back. The darkness around me was beginning to fade away. Walls were forming around me. Everything was now a sickly white color.

"There is nobody here by that name." The voice stated. I could now see a door forming in front of me. The door had a large glass pane with little holes in it. On the other side was a man in a white lab coat.

I tried to get up and head over to the door. I tried to lift myself off the ground, but I couldn't move my arms. At first I thought that I had broken both of them, but then I realized I was in a straightjacket. My shoulder was better. "No!" I yelled out. It couldn't be. I didn't want it to be.

"Is he going to be alright, doctor?" A second voice asked. I immediately recognized it. It was my mom.

"I have no way of making that decision at this time. He is suffering from severe schizophrenia. We are just going to have to wait and see." The doctor replied.

"Thank you so much, Doctor..." My mom said.

"Tim. Doctor Tim." The doctor filled in.

"Tim. Thank you very much Doctor Tim." I watched as my mom shook the man's hand and walked away. The doctor smiled grimly at me before he took his leave.

"This can't be happening. There is no way that I thought all of that up. Elli, Karen, Popuri, Doug, Gotz, Homer, Epona, the chickens. They are all gone. Everything that I have grown so attached to is gone." I muttered.

There I was, sitting in the corner of a padded room, talking to myself. Maybe I was crazy. But that wouldn't take away the memories of Mineral Town. I needed to know what had happened. It couldn't have been a dream. It just couldn't.

"It is only a dream, Tint." A voice called out to me. This was a different voice than the first one. It was a woman who was now talking to me. Also, she had called me Tint. That had to be a good sign.

"Who are you?" I called back.

"I can't believe you. You lived in Mineral Town for nearly an entire season and you never came to visit me." The woman complained.

"Then it wasn't a dream. If you are from Mineral Town that means that I am really there." I said, relieved.

"Actually, that's not entirely true. For all you know, you could be dead. The decision is up to you. Would you rather stay here or would you rather be in Mineral Town?" The voice asked.

"Mineral Town." I instantly answered.

The room began to vanish around me. I found myself falling through nothing. "Who are you?" I asked as I fell.

"I am the Harvest Goddess. It is my job to protect the citizens of Mineral Town and to ensure that there is a good harvest for the farmers." The woman explained. "I have been watching you for quite some time. Ever since you first rented harvest Moon: Back to Nature I knew that you were the one destined to save Mineral Town."

My feet touched down on something solid. No longer was I entangled in the straight jacket, just merely hampered by the broken shoulder. I found myself standing in front of a beautiful woman, who must have been the Harvest Goddess. I quickly knelt before her. "I apologize for never paying my respects before now." I explained.

"Never mind that, there are more importing things to deal with." The Harvest Goddess waved her hand over a crystal ball that magically had appeared. This was turning out to be one weird dream.

"You probably want to know what happened." The Goddess explained as an image began to form inside of the crystal ball. There were two beds, each with someone lying in it. I couldn't see who the people were. Each person was hooked up to a heart monitor. One of the machines showed a faint pulse, while the other had flat lined.

"One of those is Elli and the other is Tim." The Harvest Goddess explained.

A could feel tears forming in my eyes. I knelt before the crystal ball and softly touched it. "Please, don't let it be Elli. Take me instead." I whispered. I closed my eyes and silently prayed.

"Open your eyes, Tint." I heard the Goddess order.

I did as she asked. I found myself lying on the shore of a lake. I was completely soaked. "What happened?" I asked myself.

Standing beside me was the Harvest Goddess. She pulled me to my feet. "You have been given a second chance. Apparently, when you said you were willing to take Elli's place, someone higher up broke the rules. Oh, and also, your shoulder appears to be better."

She was right. The cast was gone and I was able to move my arm around without it hurting. "I must take my leave now. Go to the Clinic." The Goddess said before vanishing into the air.

"This is getting really weird." I muttered as I headed towards town.

**A **large crowd had gathered before the Clinic. "Excuse me." I apologized as I pushed myself through the people. A frightened murmur filled the crowd. "What?" I asked.

Gotz took a step forward. He pinched my arm, causing me to wince. "He's not a ghost." He stated.

"What do you mean not a ghost? I feel perfectly fine." I said.

"After Tim knocked you unconscious, you rolled down a hill and into the lake. I watched you sink all the way to the bottom. I dove down and couldn't find you anywhere. I was sure that you had died." Gotz explained.

"I don't feel dead." I commented as I quickly checked over myself. "What about Elli?"

"She isn't doing that well. Same goes for Tim. They're both in there being taken care of by a doctor visiting from a nearby town. They sure are lucky that Mayor Thomas had invited him." Popuri answered my question.

"What happened up there?" Someone asked from inside of the crowd.

"I don't know exactly. Tim had been waiting up there for us and caught us by surprise. I'm pretty sure he shot Elli, but I never saw her get hit. Tim and I got into a fistfight and he knocked me unconscious. I did hear another shot before falling unconscious." I explained.

"That would be Elli. I got there in time to see her grab the gun and shoot Tim. She got him right here." Gotz explained as he tapped his chest.

"Do you think they'll let me in there?" I asked.

"Don't know. They've been keeping a lid on things." Doug commented.

"I have to know if Elli is ok." I stated.

Gotz quickly pounded on the door. "Tint's here!" He yelled. Almost immediately the door creaked open. I was ushered inside and the door shoot behind me.

Mayor Thomas stood before me. "Finally! Some good news on this dreadful night. That changes the death toll for tonight from three down to two."

My heart stopped. "Did you say that there are two dead?" I asked. The Harvest Goddess had lied to me. They were both dead.

The Mayor nodded his head. "It is true. Tim was found dead on the scene. We ruled that it was self defense on behalf of Elli. The other victim was Ellen. She succumbed to cancer earlier this night. Elli was pretty depressed by the events of the night. You should probably go inside and visit her."

I headed towards the room where Elli was in. Right before I got there, the new doctor emerged from the room. He took one look at me and shook his head. "No visitors tonight. She needs time to recover. You can head home."

"But..." I argued.

"No visitors." The man ordered. He extended his hand to me and introduced himself. "I am Doctor Evan. I am sorry for being rude, but it is extremely important that Elli has sufficient time to recover."

I took hold of the man's hand and shook it. He seemed like a trustworthy guy. Plus he had a really cool looking beard, which was dyed a bright red, while the hair atop his head was blond. "I'm Tint." I admitted.

"Oh! You are her boyfriend, aren't you? I was told that you had also perished tonight. In that case feel free to go in." Evan said.

"Thank you very much." I said as I turned the knob on the door.

"Go away Doctor. I want to be left alone. Almost everyone I love is gone." Elli had her back turned to the door. I felt really sorry for her. I know what it is like to lose a loved one.

"What if I told you that Tint hadn't died?" I said, changing my voice to sound like Evan's.

"Then I would call you a liar. I saw him fall into the lake and not come back up." Elli replied.

I walked over to the edge of the bed and placed a hand on her shoulder. I used my regular voice this time. "I came back for you." I whispered into her ear.

"Tint!" Elli called out as she rolled over and grasped me in a giant hug. I could feel her tears mixing with my already damp clothes. I planted a kiss on her lips before whispering, "Everything will be alright." I hope that was the truth.

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_A/N: Did I fool you guys? That would have sucked if I had made it all a dream. But I didn't and have finally gotten rid of that evil Tim! No, he won't come back as a ghost and terrorize the town. Thanks for reading and please review. Tint signing out._


	9. Tomatoes, Truth, and Dare

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 9: Tomatoes, Truth and Dare**

_A/N: I am sorry that I did not update this Monday. Monday was the day that Mage was scheduled for release after her surgery. I had visited her Saturday and learned that the operation went without a hitch. Then on Monday I found out that they had missed something. She is scheduled for another surgery Wednesday. The scary part is that she is in the best hospital in the province and they missed something._

_I noticed that there was some trouble with the last update. Before I add a new chapter to one of my fics, I will update the tally in the summary. Immediately afterwards, I will update the new chapter. If it is not selectable from the scroll down bar, simply go to the last chapter I have. There should be a button that lets you go to the next chapter. Apparently it takes some time to get the links correct. Better luck next time and thanks for letting me know of the problem._

_I must warn people of the content of this chapter. There will be drinking in this chapter and that may lead to some things that may offend some people. Hopefully, what I write doesn't bother anyone too much, because I don't intend on going R in this fic. That might happen in the next HM fic I do after finishing this one. But that won't be for quite some time._

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**The **last couple of weeks have been very trying on the town of Mineral Town, especially on myself, Elli, and Stu. It was just barely over two weeks since that horrible night. The date today was the twelfth of Summer, the Tomato Festival.

I found out that Elli had no idea that her Grandmother had died that night. She found out early the next morning when Stu stopped by. He said that he couldn't find her anywhere in the Clinic. Elli called in Doctor Evan, who broke the news to her. She waited until the doctor left before bursting into tears.

At that point, Elli decided that she didn't want to be a doctor ever again. She handed the job off to Evan who was going move his family to Mineral Town. His family consisted of his wife Joanna and fifteen year old daughter Jessica. Both of them were going to help Evan around the Clinic. Elli and Stu ended up moving back to their old home.

I had asked Elli what she was going to do for a job to provide for herself and Stu. A day later, she managed to find a job helping Pastor Carter around the church. She claimed that she was happy with her new job, but I could tell that deep down she missed being a nurse.

The first of Summer had come and gone. Opening Day ended up being a big success. My shoulder had healed the day before and I was eager to test it. The race between Kai and me ended up being so close that a rematch was declared. The second race ended quite differently, with Kai easily defeating me by nearly two full seconds.

The Harvest Sprites were all too glad to find out that my shoulder had healed. They thanked me for the coffee maker that I had given them and headed home for a big tea party. I found their house empty the next day. They had left a note behind, explaining that they had sailed to North America. They planned on going to every Starbucks and Tim Horton's that existed. I didn't expect them to be coming back any time within the next three years.

As for the three year limit, I found myself doing extremely well. I might have gone a little overboard with planting twenty plots of pineapples. I couldn't help myself, I am greedy deep down. The profits were going to leave me drooling. Also, my chicken army had increased its number to seven. My tools were all at silver level and I had purchased a cow named Blimp.

I have yet to mention Elli's bullet wound. She was very lucky, Evan explained to me. When I had tackled Tim, I had caused his arm to bend at a strange angle. The bullet had entered Elli's body and exited just as quickly. I was told that a quarter of an inch in any direction and the bullet would have hit a vital organ, probably killing her. As it was, she only needed to spend a few days in the hospital for recovery.

The relationships of the young folk of Mineral Town were progressing at an amazing pace. According to elders, all relationships were at green while a couple had made it to yellow status. I had absolutely no idea what any of this meant. I had even heard a rumor flying around that their might be a proposal by mid Fall. That might explain why there was a Blue Feather on sale at the Supermarket.

**Today **was the Tomato Festival. It would provide the entire village a great opportunity to relax and return to their regular activities. I woke up early that day to finish all of my chores early. I was the first one at the square, giving me time to relax.

The previous day, I had agreed to join a team with Elli and Stu. Stu was probably too short to be seen over the barrels that were set up. That would provide us with a clear advantage over the other teams.

Other people were beginning to show up. I watched as they began to separate into their separate teams. Popuri, Kai, and Rick formed one team. Doug had gotten Ann and Cliff on his side. The fourth and final team consisted of the new family in town.

Elli and Stu ended up being a little late. You could hear Stu tearing through town with Elli chasing after him. Stu made his grand entrance shortly before getting caught by Elli. Poor Stu, he had painted a big target on his bare chest, while covering his face in war paint. Someone probably should have told him that Elli's makeup didn't make good camouflage.

"Whoa! Stu, what happened?" I asked trying not to laugh at the sight.

Stu immediately tried to put on a tough look, which looked more like he had ran face first into a wall. I broke into a fit of laughter at the sight. "Don't laugh! I look dangerous." Stu exclaimed.

"You look like you just blew up a cosmetic store." Elli commented.

Stu quickly looked over at her and produced a grin from ear to ear. Elli quickly pulled out a stick of lipstick and smeared it across the boy's face. "Yucky! Why'd you do that for?" He demanded.

"You deserved it." Elli stated as she sat down beside me. I let out a small chuckle as I placed my arm around Elli. In reply, Elli rested her head against my shoulder. Stu was rampaging around the square, trying to remove the makeup. All he succeeded in doing was smearing it into a bigger mess. Stu was attracting quite a few stares. Nearly everyone took one look at him, before glancing over at myself and Elli.

"What?" We both replied as innocently as we could.

Stu had made his way over to Mayor Thomas. The Mayor was standing next to a big bucket of water for people to wash with after. Thomas looked over at us and winked. He picked up the bucket and dumped it over Stu's head. That left the child completely drenched, but without the makeup.

Mayor Thomas cleared his throat as he prepared to address the rest of us, who were all laughing. "Let's get this Festival underway. We already have the four teams. We have randomly chosen which teams will compete first. Those two teams are Doug's team and Evan's team. Please take your positions."

During this speech, Stu had grabbed the bucket and wandered off. I looked around the square for the child but couldn't find him anywhere. "Where'd Stu go?" I whispered to Elli.

Elli pointed over to the far corner of the square, where Stu was returning with a much heavier bucket then before. The boy struggled as he dragged the container across the square towards where Thomas stood. The first match had already started and tomatoes were flying everywhere. Everyone's eyes were on the match except ours.

"What is he going to do?" Elli whispered back as Stu dragged a stool over to the Mayor.

"I think he's going to get revenge." I stated as Stu climbed up the stool. He was completely unnoticed by the Mayor. I got up and began to approach Thomas. I noticed the Kai was doing the same. He made a motion for me to keep Thomas distracted as he lifted the bucket up to Stu.

"Excuse me, Mayor Thomas. I was just wondering what the next festival after this is?" I inquired as Stu held the bucket over the man's head.

The match was over and everyone was watching in anticipation. The Mayor didn't seem to notice the sudden silence. "The next festival is the Cow Festival." He replied, completely oblivious to the ambush.

The next thing Thomas knew, a wave of water came pouring down on him. He looked around in surprise and caught Stu, who was beaming with happiness. The Mayor looked like he was ready to strangle Stu, but quickly burst into a fit of laughter, along with everyone else in the Square.

The laughter lasted for a few minutes before dying down. "Ok, back to the festival. Tint, your team is going up against Kai's team."

I gave Kai a grin as I took hold of a tomato. I pointed to him and motioned that he was first. Kai chuckled. "Not if I get you first."

"Teams ready. Begin!" Thomas announced from the sidelines.

I launched my tomato at Kai, who ducked just in time. He popped up a few seconds later, ready to attack back. He was instead greeted by a tomato through by Stu. Kai grumbled as he sat down and held out his white flag.

Stu began celebrating his kill when he got nailed by a toss from Rick. Instantly, I got him with a tomato to the chest. Less than a second later, a tomato smacked against my head. That left only Elli and Popuri to duke it out.

Elli ducked down behind her barrel. A steady stream of tomatoes went flying overhead. Suddenly the bombardment stopped. "I'm out!" Popuri cried out desperately.

Elli bolted to her feet and unloaded a fastball. Popuri didn't stand a chance. She was too busy looking around for more tomatoes. The tomato hit the pink haired girl, sending her falling on her behind.

A cheer erupted from the onlookers as we celebrated on our victory. We had only a few minutes to wash up before we were back at the barrels. Each one was restocked with tomatoes, providing us with a full stock of ammunition to toss at our opponents. We looked across the square at Evan and his family, ready to do battle.

"Hey Tint! Did you know that I was a pitcher for my high school baseball team?" Evan called out form his position.

"Big deal! I played in a professional dodgeball league back home." I was lying. Professional dodgeball, now that would be sweet.

"Quiet down. Teams ready. Begin!" Thomas announced.

Evan must not have been lying. Before I knew it, a tomato struck me. A second later Elli was down. That left Stu alone while they had their entire team. Evan stood, ready to fire at Stu as soon as he popped out of his hiding place. Little did he know that Stu had snuck away.

Suddenly, both Jessica and Joanna cried out in surprise. Evan turned around to see both of them victims of a sneak attack. Evan carefully moved away from his barrel to look for Stu. While he was gone, Stu bolted up to Evan barrel and dove inside. Luckily nobody else saw him.

"Where did he go?" Evan demanded as he headed back to his barrel. "They forfeit because Stu left the square."

Stu popped out of his hiding place and bombarded the helpless Evan with tomatoes. "The winning team of this year's Tomato Festival is the team of Stu, Elli, and Tint!"

**"That **was fun! Well, I should get back to work." I announced. It was nearly an hour after the festival had ended. Nearly everyone had gone home, except for the younger people.

"Come on, Tint! We were all going down to my shop for a little get together." Kai said as he held onto Popuri.

"It won't be the same without you." Karen commented from Rick's side.

I looked around at the others. Mary and Gray looked a little unsure about it, while Cliff and Ann were waiting on my decision. Elli sat by my side. "We'll go." Elli answered for me.

Ann and Cliff quickly agreed to go, while it took a little persuasion to convince Mary and Gray. The lot of us set off down the staircase to the beach and over to Kai's shop.

Once we got to the store, Kai headed over to the fridge. "Tint, take a guess what I got in here." Kai asked as he dug through the cooler.

"I don't know. Beer, I guess." I said with a shrug. A few of the people laughed.

"Right you are! And this is no ordinary beer! This stuff is Canadian!" Kai announced as he pulled out a few bottles. Both I and Karen looked up immediately.

Kai passed around a beer to everyone. "You don't have to drink it if you don't want to." He said when he noticed the disgusted look on Mary's face. He then proceeded over to the door and turned the lock. "Just in case anyone gets really hammered." He explained, clearly meaning Karen and me.

"Let's make a pact right now, before anyone takes a drink. Whatever happens here tonight will not leave this room. We will never mention it again." Popuri announced from her seat.

"Deal." We all agreed. I could tell that some of the people were becoming a little nervous. They were probably confused as to what was going to happen. I knew I was somewhat worried as to what Kai and Popuri had planned.

Popuri finally revealed the secret. "The game is truth and dare. First, we need to set some ground rules. The most important rule is all people involved have to agree to the dare. Secondly, everyone must try not to do anything that will ruin anyone's relationships. That means that you can't kiss someone else's boyfriend or girlfriend. Everyone understand?" A series of nods answer Popuri.

**Sunlight **glared in my face as my eyes flickered open. _"I must have fallen asleep." _I thought to myself as I lay in the bed. I could feel a hand resting against my chest. I let my eyes clear for a few seconds before looking over to see who I was.

I was relieved to see that it was Elli. She looked so peaceful, lying there with her head rested against my chest. I planted a kiss on her forehead. "Good morning." I whispered to her as her eyes slowly began to open up.

"Morning." She whispered back with a smile as she looked up into my eyes, her face beaming with a beautiful smile. Then the smile began to disappear. "Something feels wrong." She said as she lifted the covers.

Elli let out a surprised gasp as she looked down. I couldn't see what she was looking at, but I could feel that something was amiss. "What is it?" I asked but shortly figured it out after asking. I only now had realized that we were both completely naked.

Elli looked at me with a scared look on her face. "I think we did it." She whispered to me.

"What's with all this noise?" Popuri complained as she suddenly sat up on the other side of teh bed. She too was naked. She took one look at herself, Elli, and me. "This can't be good." She whispered.

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_A/N: Oh boy, this could prove to be some trouble. In their drunken stupor, Tint ended up sleeping with both Elli and Popuri. What will Kai say? What effect will this have on Tint's relationship with Elli? Find out next time._

_I am sorry for skipping over the game. I figured that this way would prove to be more dramatic and also would help me dodge anything stupid that I might have wrote. Thanks for your support and please review._


	10. Aftermath

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 10: Aftermath**

_A/N: Happy, happy, happy! I feel so much better after the recent developments. Mage finally got out of the hospital on last Thursday. I got her to read this fic once again. She had read it before but only up to chapter 7 and was extremely happy with it and it's reviews. Thanks. Now I amover halfway to my goal of one hundred reviews._

_There is one review that I would like to address. I am only bringing this up because the review was submitted anonymously. I would expect that with a name such as "_guy who hates Elli_" you would have to be an uneducated moron. I won't say anything more then that._

_Back to the story._

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"Oh, my Goddess!" Elli exclaimed as she tried to cover herself up. Popuri did the same. I sat between the two girls, silently thinking over what must have happened. "Do you think the others know?" I asked at length.

Popuri got up and headed towards the door. It was shut tightly and the lock was turned. "Chances are that this is still a secret among us." We were alone in the room.

Elli got up from her spot and began to dress. She noticed that I was watching her and smiled. "Consider the view repayment for my birthday." She whispered as she tied her apron around her waist.

I laughed a little bit as I began to climb out of bed. "A little late on my birthday gift, are we?"

I looked over at Popuri who was putting on her dress. She instantly blushed and hid her face. "What are we going to do about this? What if one of us gets pregnant? What then?" She asked. She must be worried about what Kai would say if he found out.

Elli walked up beside Popuri and put her arm around her. "Don't worry about it. I can arrange for Evan to run some tests later this week to see if anything did happen. Does that make you feel any better?"

"A little." Popuri admitted. "But, I feel bad that I cheated on Kai. What is he going to say?"

I began dressing. "Don't mention it to him."

Popuri gave me a look of shock. She shook her head. "I can't do that. The relationship I have with Kai is built on trust. I have to tell him."

Judging from the look on her face, she was serious. Both Elli and I looked at her with amazement. "I hope he takes it well and understands that it was just a drunken accident." Elli said.

Popuri nodded her head in agreement. "I hope he does too." I watched as she turned the lock. Her pink hair swayed as she pulled open the door. Popuri shut the door silently behind her, leaving me alone with Elli.

I did up the last button on my shirt as I walked over to Elli. Her back was turned to me, for she was still looking at the door. I wrapped my arms around her waist and placed my head on her shoulder. "I love you." I whispered into her ear.

Elli turned her head and kissed me softly. "I love you too."

"Do you remember anything about last night?" I asked.

"Actually, I remember everything. I didn't have a single drink all night." Elli admitted to me.

I let go of Elli and turned her around so I could look into her brown eyes. A sparkle glittered in her eyes, captivating me with their beauty. "That means that..." I began but was quickly interrupted by Elli's finger against my lips.

"Yes, I was sober the whole time. We slept together because I love you and I am ready to take our relationship to the next level." She explained before taking her finger away from my lips.

"How did Popuri fit into this? If you were sober, how did she get involved?" I asked. My brain was starting to ache from the hangover and the information overload.

Elli placed her arms around my neck. "She stumbled in about an hour after we did it. You had passed out pretty much instantly. She was really drunk when she woke me up. All she told me was that Kai was being a jerk. I invited her to spend the night in here with us and she accepted. I had no idea that she had snuck into the bed."

"Wait a minute. If I was passed out, that means that I probably didn't have sex with her." I exclaimed. At that second, a loud crash came from the main room.

I quickly opened up the door and stumbled into the room. Everyone was staring at the front door. Popuri was down on her knees, tears flowing from her eyes. "Kai... I'm sorry." She whispered as she reached towards the door.

Elli knelt beside Popuri and embraced the sobbing girl. "I see that he didn't take the news very well."

Popuri violently pulled away from Elli. "Get your hands off me! This is all you two's fault!" Her voice was full with anger. "Rick! Take me home!" She demanded.

"Sure thing, Popuri." Rick said as he got up from Karen's side. He took one look at me and Elli. "I hope that you are happy for ruining my sister's life." The door slammed behind them as they hastily made their exit.

I looked around at the rest of the group. Ann and Mary had a look of deep hatred in their eyes. Karen seemed to look sympathetic, while the guys appeared to be jealous. "I don't even know if I slept with Popuri or not." I explained to the teens.

"I think we should go." Elli whispered to me. I nodded my head in agreement.

We headed towards the end of the dock. The sun had barely peaked over the horizon and glared into my eyes. Elli sat down at the dock's edge and looked out across the water. "What have we done?" She asked as I sat down beside her.

"Hopefully we can solve this problem. I'm sure that if we tell Popuri and Kai that this is all a mistake that they'll understand." I commented, placing my arm around Elli as I said so.

"There is always the chance that you two did do something intimate at one point during the night. That's why we have to get some tests done. I will go and make an appointment with Doctor Evan for myself and Popuri. What will you do?" Elli stated as she got to her feet.

"I'll go do my work back on the farm. After that I will try to find Kai and Popuri and explain the situation to them." I replied. Clouds began to collect overhead. It was going to rain before the day was over.

"Well, good luck." Elli gave me a quick kiss goodbye before she headed off into town.

**It **was almost a full week later. Kai refused to speak with anyone. The same went for Popuri, Rick, and pretty much the rest of the town. A few people sided with me and Elli, knowing that if anything weird had indeed occurred that night, it was the result of drunken misunderstanding. Nearly all of the town's activities had taken the backburner to the incredible amounts of gossip that had spread.

Evan had performed some tests on Elli and Popuri. Today was the day that the results of the tests would be announced. Evan would reveal the results at exactly ten this morning. He considered it best if the results were announced in private.

I had originally believed that I never had sex with Popuri. That changed about four days after the incident. Everyday, I had gone over to Popuri's house and tried to explain the situation to her. She listened to the reasoning behind my explanation and believed it somewhat. That was until she fell ill.

One day, Rick refused to let me see her. He claimed that she wouldn't leave her bed. According to him, Popuri had thrown up quite frequently the night before. Even her mother claimed that Popuri was showing early signs of being pregnant.

To make matters even worse, Elli had also fallen ill. She locked herself away at home and refused to see any visitors. Poor Stu was also locked inside as not to blab about any problems.

To top everything off, rumors were flying about the town that there might be another vote to get rid of me. Apparently, people were really upset about the fact that I was causing so many problems. "Memo to self: quit doing stupid things." I had told myself many times during the past week.

I arrived at the Clinic half an hour early. Evan was quite surprised when I entered the Clinic. "Can't wait for the news?" The Doctor said as he pulled out a large envelope from his desk.

"Those are the results, right?" I asked as he waved the envelope in front of my face.

"Yup. But, I won't show the results until everyone else is here. This is quite a mess you got yourself into." Evan stated clearly upset over the matter.

"Hopefully everything will end up for the better." A female voice stated from the door.

I turned to face the newcomer. "I totally agree with you, Popuri. I feel so bad for causing all of this." I got to my feet and offered a hug.

Popuri hesitated for a second before bursting into a flood of tears as she collapsed into my arms. "It's not your fault. I won't hold anything against you." Popuri managed to say through her tears.

"Get your hands off of her!" Another voice demanded. This time it was Kai. He walked up to me and pushed me away from Popuri. It was obvious that he still had feelings for Popuri, even if she could've cheated on him. During all of this, Evan kept looking back and forth like a spectator at a tennis match.

"What's wrong with you?" I retaliated by giving Kai a push.

"You want to know what's wrong with me!?! I'll tell you what's wrong with me!" Kai was quite angry as he advanced on me. "I've been in love with Popuri since I met her the first time I came to Mineral Town! Then you show up and ruin everything that I've worked so hard to get! That's what's wrong with me!"

"Kai..." Popuri attempted to interrupt but Kai pushed her aside.

"I don't know if I could love somebody that cheated on me." Kai stated flatly.

"What if I told you that she never cheated on you?" Elli stated as she entered the Clinic. She was looking extremely pale and she appeared weak as she stumbled over to me. This was starting to turn into a soap opera as each person came in and elevated the drama.

"Are you ok?" I asked as she nearly collapsed into me.

"I'm fine." She replied as she shook of my assistance.

Popuri seemed confused. "How is it possible that I didn't do it with Tint? All three of us were naked when we woke up in the morning. How do you explain that?"

"Simple actually. I was sober during the entire thing. You didn't show up until after Tint passed out." Elli explained.

"That means..." Kai began.

"That's right. Unless Tint and Popuri both woke up at some time during the night and did it, which is doubtful, they didn't do it." Elli finished.

"But we needed to run the test to make sure." Evan finally got his chance to speak. "Now if you kids take a seat I will read the results for you."

Evan directed us to a set of chairs and beckoned for us to sit down. He then took hold of the envelope. He looked over our nervous faces before opening up the envelope and unfolding the paper. Evan's eyes scanned over the lines and looked up. "There is good news and bad news for both of you."

I held onto Elli as she gulped nervously. Popuri was nearly ready to burst into another wave of tears. "First, I will read Popuri's results. Do you want the bad news or the good news first?" Evan asked.

Popuri looked into Kai's eyes before replying, "Bad."

"Suit yourself." Evan shrugged his shoulders. "According to the results... You did have intercourse with someone sometime that night."

Popuri made a small whimpering sound as she buried her head into Kai's chest. Kai shoved her aside and got up. He was just about at the door when Evan stopped him. "Wait around for the good news." He said to Kai. Kai grumbled something in reply before returning to his seat. Popuri tried to grab Kai's hand, but he refused. Instead, he pulled his chair as far away from her as he could from her.

"What's the good news, Doctor?" Kai asked impatiently.

"The good news comes in two forms. The first good result for the pregnancy test came back negative." Popuri let out a huge sigh of relief. Even Kai seemed relieved by this news. "The second thing, that may be considered good news, is that I ran a DNA test. I don't really understand this result based upon your accounts of the evening, but you may not remember this occurring. The results say that Popuri had sexual intercourse with Kai and not Tint."

"But how? I don't remember sleeping with her that night." Kai began protesting.

"Maybe that was what Popuri was so upset over." Elli commented. "She did say that you were being a jerk. That was why she wanted to spend the night with us."

Meanwhile, Popuri was rejoicing. "No offence Tint. You are a handsome guy and I would date you if I wasn't already involved with Kai. But, I feel so relieved that it turned out to be Kai."

"I understand. I felt bad knowing that I could've messed up your life." I admitted.

"Time for Elli's results." Evan announced, interrupting the celebration. "Since you admitted to having sex, I won't bother with that obvious result. The tests for diseases came back negative, just like Popuri's. The only difference is the result of the pregnancy test. It came back positive."

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_A/N: I say that is a fitting end for the chapter. I had originally written this chapter to be a public reading of the results, but chose against it. Amazing how many problems have arisen because of that one night. Will the relationship of Elli and Tint be able to survive the pregnancy? Will Elli keep the child? Does this force Tint into the position of proposing marriage? How will this affect the entire town? What will Tint's family say if they ever find out? Find out the answer to most of these questions next time._


	11. Day of Recovery

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 11: Day of Recovery**

_A/N: I will try to update more often from now on. Probably every five or so days.. Consider it a special gift that I will give in my extremely good mood. I promise that from this point on, I will never again go into the sex topic (at least not in this fic evil smirk). The only thing that I will continually mention is the pregnancy, which I obviously can't avoid. I will also state that my chapters will never go longer than 5000 words, simply because my ideas are short and simple, just like me. Maybe my next fic will have 10000 word chapters… I'll keep this Author Note relatively short and will go straight to Chapter 11._

_During the phone conversation: _Tint will speak in regular text. _The person on the other end is italicized._

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**Shock, **petrified, scaredThey were the best terms to use to describe how I felt after hearing the news. Elli was pregnant. "_Wow._"I thought. "_I'm going to be a father." _That was probably what scared me.

I was still seated at the Clinic, my jaw hanging nearly at the floor. Elli was seated beside me, her reaction mirroring mine. Kai and Popuri were standing quietly to the side, their celebration cut short. An eerie silence filled the room.

Elli was the first to crack the silence. It started as only a slight whimper. She looked at the Doctor and whispered, "Are you sure?"

Doctor Evan nodded his head in a curt reply. He handed the sheet of paper over to Elli. Her eyes nervously fluttered across the words, before suddenly stopping at one line. She read the line repeatedly, hoping that the words would change before her eyes. "He isn't lying. I am pregnant…" Elli muttered as she handed the paper back to Evan.

I could feel my spirit being crushed. It felt like an extremely short leash had been hooked onto my neck and was pulling me closer to accepting the fact. I didn't want to believe it. All I wanted to do was stare at the blank wall in front of me, denying the truth.

Someone moved into my field of vision. I saw a few strands of pink hair pass by me as Popuri approached Elli. She reached out to Elli, her hand quivering slightly as it was placed on Elli's shoulder. "Are you going to keep it?" She asked.

"I don't know yet… Everything is just so confusing to me." Elli replied as she got up to her feet. "It matters on what Tint wants."

I looked up from my concentrated stare at the wall and into Elli's beautiful eyes. I could tell that she was scared, just like I was. I took hold of her hand and held it against my heart. "I want what is best for you." I said encouragingly.

"Then that settles it! I'm going to keep it." Elli proclaimed with a new air of confidence and excitement. Leash shortens considerably.

I got to my feet. "You reached that decision quickly. What changed your mind?" I inquired.

Elli smiled sheepishly. "I've always wanted to have a child of my own. I just was hoping to wait until after I was married." I swore that she added a wink to that comment.

**"Wow, **Tint! That's your seventh beer tonight! What has you so down?" Doug asked as he pulled away the freshly emptied glass from my hand. The drink was quickly replaced with a full mug. It was the night of the same day and you guessed it. I headed to the bar after leaving the Clinic.

I stared determinedly at the glass in front of me. "I can't believe it." I muttered as I lifted the glass.

"Come on, tell me. I don't like it when my best customer gets moody." Doug stated, prying for some sort of information.

"All right, I'll tell you." I leaned close to Doug and whispered, "I got Elli pregnant."

Doug surprised me by placing another beer on the table before me. "The next round is on the house!" He proclaimed to the people seated at the tables.

I gave the red headed man a confused look as a stampede of people surrounded the bar. Doug gave me a wink as he held a mug up in the air. "A toast!" He announced. "To Tint. Congratulations are in order. He's going to be a father!"

"To Tint!" A chorus of voices cheered. I looked around at the faces of those gathered. Nearly every face offered me congratulations before they returned to their seats. But there was one face that looked disappointed. That face belonged to Karen.

"I can't believe you, Tint." She exclaimed as she sat down beside me.

"Why's that?" I inquired.

Karen gave me a short look of disgust. "I thought that you were a good guy."

"Quit speaking riddles. Just tell me what's on your mind." I stated.

"Do I have to tell you how many things are wrong with what you've done? I've heard the rumors." Karen said, clearly getting angry over something that I had no idea about.

"What rumors would those be?" There had been countless accusations lying around recklessly over the past week. It was impossible to tell which one she was upset about.

"You're planning on bailing on Elli. That's why you haven't proposed to her yet." She stated.

I shook my head in disbelief. "What made you reach that decision?"

Karen reached into a pocket on her vest and revealed a piece of paper. It was a ticket, in my name, to go back to Canada. "Is this enough proof?"

I pulled the paper closer to me. I scanned over the ticket in disbelief. "Where did you find this?" I asked.

I could hear Karen answering, but didn't make out the words. Something about the ticket had drawn my attention. At the bottom of the sheet was the name of the person who had paid for the ticket. It was my mother's name that appeared. "Are you listening to me?" Karen demanded.

"Look at this." I pointed to my mother's name. "My parents are trying to get me to go home. I need to talk to them."

Karen looked at the name and her mood immediately changed. "And you don't get along with your folks… That means… You had nothing to do with it. I'm sorry for doubting you."

I was amazed by this instantaneous turn around. "No need…" I began but Karen quickly interrupted me. She grabbed the telephone at the end of the bar and pushed it in front of me. "Just shut up, call your parents, and give them hell." She stated before finishing her drink and leaving the Inn.

"Women." Doug commented as he walked past.

I took a deep breath and picked up the receiver. The crowd seemed to fall into a deadly silence as I dialed the number. I could hear the phone ringing on the other end. On the fourth ring a voice answered on the other end. "_Hello?_"

"Hi, Mother."

"_Look Neil, it's five in the morning. I told you the last time this happened. We aren't going to bail you out of jail again."_

"No, it's your other son."

"_I don't have another child. You must have the wrong number."_

"I think that I would know my own phone number."

There was an eerie silence on the other end of the phone. "_Brett, is that you?"_

"No, it isn't Brett. It's Tint."

"_Smart ass. I take it that you got your ticket. We expect you to be home by the end of next week."_

"I'm sorry, mother, but I won't be going home."

"_Why the hell not? There is no way that you can actually be providing for yourself out there. Plus, you aren't the best at making friends._"

"Thanks for being supportive." I said sarcastically.

"_Look. If you don't come home this instant, I'll be forced to go out there and get you ."_

"I'll be waiting for you." I commented before hanging up the phone. This was turning out to be a really bad day for me. I signaled for Doug to bring me another drink. Maybe I'd reach a dozen drinks before the night was over.

If my family came to visit, the results would probably result in catastrophe for me. My mother alone would be enough to send me packing. Not to mention my brother, who would most likely do something illegal. Bad news was definitely the theme of the day.

"I think I've had enough." I stated to Doug after downing the drink he brought over.

"Suit yourself." Doug replied as he started cleaning up my spot.

I was stumbling towards the door when somebody stopped me. It was Won. He pulled me over to the side of the room. "I heard you knocked up Elli." The man said with a smirk.

"What about it?" I asked in disgust. I don't know what it was about Won, but there was something about him that rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it was the fact that he cared about nothing but money. At least I was one step above him. Money was a secondary perk about living in Mineral Town and being a farmer.

"I have something that may be of use for you." Won pulled open his yellow raincoat and showed me his wares. I was surprised. His jacket was lined with every sort of useless contraption invented by mankind. Packed in among all of the junk was a solitary blue feather. "For you, only three thousand gold pieces. A bargain if I might add."

**I **was back at my house on the farm. I placed the Blue Feather on my headboard. I decided that it would better to be ready for anything. This day was just about over, nothing else could happen to me.

A knock on my door warned me that I was probably wrong. I trudged over to the door and pulled it open. Standing before me was Elli. "Hi, Tint. Can I come in?" She asked innocently.

"Sure thing." I beckoned her inside. Elli took a few steps inside before I realized that I had left the Blue Feather on the headboard. I made a mad dive and managed to sneak the feather beneath my pillow. It wasn't the right time for it.

"What was that for?" Elli asked in surprise.

I frantically searched for something to say to her. "Oh… Uh… I just didn't want you to see… how messy my bed was." I lied. "So what are you doing here?"

Elli gave me a confused look. "I take it that you're acting strange because of the news this morning. It bothered me too. That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh, really? Go ahead and talk." I gestured for Elli to take a seat on the bed beside me. Elli carefully sat down and draped her arms around me. Then she proceeded to bury her face into my shoulder and cry. I was surprised by this sudden turnaround. "What is it?" I was confused about what it was that had her upset.

Elli took a few seconds to quit crying. She looked up into my eyes and asked. "Do you love me?"

"You know I do. I've told you thousand of times." I replied. Hopefully that was all that she was worried over. Even though I loved her, I was beginning to grow tired of her complaints and worries.

She began to dry her eyes with her apron. That was when she hit me with the bomb. "Then why don't you propose to me?"

"I'll be honest with you." I took hold of her shoulders and forced her to look at me. "I'm just not really ready to get married, that's all."

"Oh. I understand." She looked around the room and nodded her head. "This place isn't big enough to raise a family in anyway."

I was relieved that she was taking my answer so well. I worked up some nerve and proceeded to tell her, "When I get this place upgraded enough, then I might consider it."

"How long will that be?" She asked in excitement.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Don't know. My pineapples should be ready before the week is over. That should give me enough money to buy the upgrade from Gotz."

Elli got up to her feet and headed towards the door. "That's good enough for me. Good night, Tint!" She called out as she left.

Thus ended a frantic day of events for me. I fed Homer his night time meal and went silently to bed. Hopefully tomorrow would bring back the normal routine of farming.

I was awakened by a frantic knock on my door. I put on my glasses and looked at my alarm clock. The numbers showed the time to be five in the morning. Another knock on the door, this one louder and more determined. "I'm coming!" I shouted to the door as I climbed out of my bed. I slowly trudged over to door and pulled it open, revealing Mayor Thomas, who was just about ready to knock again. "What is it, Mayor?" I asked before releasing a huge yawn.

"Sorry to wake you, Tint, but we have a problem down at the beach. We need your attendance." Thomas replied as he tugged me out the door.

"What happened?" I asked as we rounded the corner and headed down the path.

Thomas brushed a bead of perspiration away from his forehead as we ran. "Zach was awakened not long ago by a ship arriving. Apparently it was a passenger vessel, because the ship dropped off a woman and her teenage son. They're causing a huge commotion down at the dock, so Zach called for reinforcements. That's when they demanded to see you."

I stopped in my tracks. Thomas noticed that I had stopped and turned back to me. "What is it?" He asked.

"They couldn't have gotten here so fast." I stated in denial.

"Who would that be?" Thomas asked as he continued towards the beach.

I trudged along after him. "My family." I replied.

"Shouldn't that be a good thing?"

I shook my head as we entered the Town Square. "The problems they're causing at the beach are just the start. Wait until they see me."

We headed down the stairs and were greeted by a crowd of people gathered to see what was happening. A woman's voice could be heard yelling insults about me. We pushed our way through the crowd and headed towards the source of the commotion. My guess was soon proved right. Standing at the base of the dock was my mother and younger brother. They spotted me and advanced upon me like a hunter on its prey. "So, there you are. The psycho finally shows his face." My mother spat out as she pointed an accusing finger at me.

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_A/N: It might just be me, but this chapter just doesn't feel right. I had a weird feeling that there was something wrong with it from the start. Please give me your opinion, for if people don't like it, I am willing to change it. Also could some people drop a few suggestions for the name of Tint's mother. I don't want to use my actual mother's name because she already hates the way I portray her. Thank you for reading and please provide feedback._


	12. Family Arrival

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 12: Family Arrival**

_A/N: I don't really have anything to address so I'm just going straight to the chapter. There's a first for everything…Oh, and Stickerbrush, how right you are. After these next two chapters, everybody will have a renenwed hatred for this woman._

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**"How **did you get here so fast?" I asked as I backed away from my advancing mother. It was truly an interesting matter. She and my brother had made it all the way from Canada to over here in Japan in less than twelve hours. That was practically impossible.

"A lot has happened since you left nearly a year ago. Your father has become a wealthy business man and now owns his own company. That's why he couldn't come with us. He's too busy buying some town over in Great Britain." My mother proclaimed, momentarily seeming nicer then she actually was. "He got his pilot to fly us to that ship in the company helicopter."

The crowd was busy murmuring in amazement. They were in the presence of my family and were unsure on how to handle it. Some were in a welcoming mood, willing to accept these rich travelers. The others were ready to send them packing, mostly because they had heard my stories about them.

Neil was busy overlooking the spectators. His eyes scanned the faces from beneath the white cowboy hat that he was wearing. "Bunch of redneck hicks and pansies. Not a single person of interest. Suits you perfectly." He stated with disgust as he spat on the sand.

"Watch what you say, Neil. I'm in the mood to hit you right now." I warned.

"That won't be a problem. You hit like a girl. In fact, that chick there probably hits harder then you do." Neil pointed into the crowd.

I looked to where he was pointing. There was Karen, standing in a half daze. "Then why don't you let her hit you?" I asked with a smirk.

Karen made her way through the crowd and stood before my brother. She was about ready to hit him, when my mother stepped between them. "I won't have a pathetic little girl go around abusing my son." She angrily stated as she pushed Karen back into the crowd.

The scene was beginning to look ugly almost as if a fight was about to break out between the crowd and my family. In fact my brother was taunting Zach to start something. Zach was about to hit the idiot when Mayor Thomas cleared his throat. "Everyone can go on home. We will settle this problem ourselves. No need to stay around."

The announcement worked. After a few muttered curses the beach eventually cleared. The last one to leave was Karen who flipped my brother the bird. My family was off to an amazing start, even better then that of my own. The only ones remaining on the beach were Thomas, myself, and my relatives.

Thomas placed a hand on my shoulder. "I'm going to leave you to handle this. I have to go help Barley with the preparations for the Cow Festival at his ranch today." With that, Thomas left me standing alone with my family members.

"So, you thought that you could run away to some 'paradise' and forget about us." My mother even used finger quotations for paradise. It was obvious that I was in for one hell of a problem.

"That was my plan." I stated as I began walking towards the stairs.

I could hear my mother's nagging voice following me. "Are you going to leave us here? Aren't you going to invite us to your place?"

I pretended to ignore her as I made my way into Town Square. I stopped for a moment and pointed to the path on the opposite side of the square. "The Inn's that way. It's a suiting place for tourists." I stated much to my mother's anger.

"How dare you! Insolent little brat! That is no way to treat your mother!" She nagged as she continued after me as I headed towards my farm.

I looked over my shoulder and saw her stomped after me. "You're still following me, I see. I won't give you directions to the Inn again." I was feeling a lot more confident around her now. Must be the people skills that I had gained from my confrontations with the late Tim.

We were entering into my farmyard. Homer carefully approached my mother and sniffed at her leg. She was completely oblivious to Homer until he tried to mark his territory. I was quite amused by the sight as my mother let out a horrible shriek and tried to chase after Homer. Even Neil laughed at the sight.

"Stupid mutt! Just wait till I get my hands on you. Then you will rue the day you pissed on me." Mom yelled at Homer as he ducked into the doggy door. She tried to chase after him inside, but luckily I had locked the door earlier.

As she was busy with the door, I proceeded to water my pineapple crop. Neil followed me as I made my way through the field. "What the hell are these?" He asked as he looked at one of the growing plants.

"They're pineapples. Each and every one of them. They should be ready for harvesting within the next three days. Then I'll be able to purchase a couple of upgrades around here." I explained.

Neil nodded his head in understanding. Out of everyone in my family, I got along best with him. According to the last time I talked to him, he actually had played a Harvest Moon game and liked it. He might actually prove to be of some use around the farm during his stay.

When I finished watering the last plot of pineapples Neil pulled me aside. "Brett, I have something to tell you that is very secretive. I don't want her to know." He pointed at mother, who was chasing after Homer again. Homer was obviously having fun as he joyfully pranced about the field.

"What is it?" I asked as I headed into the chicken coop. I immediately noticed that the egg in the incubator had hatched, revealing a newborn chick. Neil headed over towards the chick as I collected feed for my eight chickens. "Feel free to name that one." I stated as I watched him pick up the tiny yellow bird.

"You name all of your chickens? How do you remember all of their names?" He asked as he rubbed the chick's head carefully.

"It's quite easy. That big one in the corner is Mini Me. That one's Pecker. There's Mojo, Gouger, Comrie, Big Bird, and Fluffy." I pointed to each bird as I said its name. "Now what was it you wanted to tell me?" I asked as I placed the feed in each birds feed box. I collected the eggs and put most of them in the shipping bin. I then placed one egg in each of the incubators.

"I think I'll name this little guy Freedom. That's what I want, Brett, freedom. From her. I can't take anymore of it. Ever since you left, she has focused all of her anger on me." Neil admitted, gently placing Freedom in front of a feed box.

I nodded my head in agreement as I exited the Chicken Coop. "I understand what you mean. I might be able to pull some strings for you. Maybe you could help me around the farm." I looked around the field in search of my mother. She was nowhere to be found.

"That would be great! By the way, I didn't mean any of the things I said down at the beach. It was only an act for her." Neil apologized as he shut the door behind us.

A strange sight caused me to head towards the stream. The morning sun was just barely beginning to scatter the darkness of night. Standing at the edge of the stream were both Epona and Homer. The two of them were looking down into the water, from which horrendous sounds were being emitted. "Epona! Homer! Don't push my mother into the water again!" I ordered upon seeing the sight of my mother floundering around in the water. "At least not when I'm at home." I whispered into Epona's ear. She seemed to nod her head in agreement.

"Are you going to stand there and look stupid or are you going to give me a hand?" Mother demanded as she struggled up the slippery bank. In reply I sat down and began clapping my hands. This was turning out to be fun.

"How dare you! Just you wait till I get out of here. I am going to get you!" The woman screamed in agony.

I pulled out my set of keys. "The keys to my house attached to Epona's saddle. I'll offer you a hint, before she humiliates you any more. Don't try to ride her. She's still only a pony but she'll buck your fat butt off no problem." I attached the keys to a stirrup on the saddle.

Neil followed me as I headed towards the barn. I wasn't about to let my mother ruin my participation in the Cow Festival. "Come on Neil. Help me push Blimp over to Barley's ranch." I ordered after opening up the barn doors.

"Shouldn't we help mother?" He asked, looking back towards the creek. Homer was joyfully barking away at the figure trying desperately to climb to solid ground.

I shook my head in response. "You don't have to listen to her any more. That will take her quite some time. By then, the festival should be over and I can whistle for Epona. Then I'll help her."

I noticed Neil was looking me over with a strange look. "You sure have changed over the last year." He stated at length.

I tugged at the collar around Blimp's neck, attempting to pull her out into the morning sunlight. "I know that I have changed. I've broken my shoulder blade, witnessed a murder, and even got a girl pregnant." I summarized, leaving my brother standing in shock.

"You've got a girlfriend!?!" He asked in amazement. "So you aren't gay like mom said." I shot him an evil glare that immediately silenced him.

"I'll introduce you to her at the Festival. She probably will be there." I grunted as I pulled Blimp towards Yodel Ranch. We were just passing by the Poultry Farm when we heard a yell come from the other side of the building.

"I hate you Rick!" Popuri yelled as she came around the corner. I groaned when I saw the tears coming down off of her cheek. It was too early to be consoling Popuri. The pink haired maiden stopped herself when she spotted me leading Blimp along the path. "What a cute little cow!" Popuri exclaimed, instantly enchanted with the beast.

"What happened now?" I asked Popuri as she rubbed Blimp's forehead. She had yet to notice Neil, who was standing between Blimp and the fence.

"Nothing, really. Rick was just calling Kai a bad influence on me. I don't know why I was crying, it wasn't really all that bad. Plus, Kai isn't even close to you for being a bad influence." Popuri joked.

"Is this your girlfriend, Brett?" Neil interrupted.

Popuri let out a little shriek of surprise. "Who are you?" She asked, looking Neil up and down.

Neil tipped his hat to Popuri. "The name's Neil. What's yours, pretty lady?" The question caused Popuri to blush a bit, even though she hid her face.

"She's out of your league, Neil. You're only thirteen and she just turned eighteen." I pushed the smooth talking teen out of the way. "May I introduce my brother, Neil. Neil, this is Popuri. And no, she isn't my girlfriend. She's just a friend."

"Brother!" Popuri exclaimed. "So it was your family that arrived here this morning. Who else came?"

"Just my mother, but you don't want to meet her. She's the devil." I commented nonchalantly. "Say, we were headed to the Cow Festival. Care to tag along?"

"Don't mind if I do." Popuri smiled as we continued towards Yodel Ranch.

"From now on, call me Tint." I whispered to my brother, who shook his head in conformation.

Yodel Ranch was a mad house of activity. Barley and Thomas were directing the visiting farmers towards their spots. The residents of the town were eagerly awaiting the judging of the cows. I took one look around and was disappointed when I didn't see Elli anywhere around.

"Tint! Come on over here!" Barley called out when he spotted me. Behind him was a really big guy, who I recognized as the judge from the Cooking Festival, which I hadn't been able to compete in.

I dragged Blimp over towards Barley. Both Popuri and Neil dispersed themselves among the crowd. I was worried about what Neil would do, but had more pressing matters at hand. I pulled Blimp into her spot. "What now?" I asked.

Barley looked around the ranch, counting the number of cows. "Yup, everybody is here. We can get started with the judging." Barley announced much to the crowd's pleasure.

The Judge began strolling towards the nearest cow. He looked the creature over with the severest of scrutiny. I watched as he checked over every inch of the cow, nodding his head as he went. The Judge said a couple of words to the owner of the cow before continuing onto the next animal.

Suddenly, my world was enveloped with darkness. "Guess who!" The owner of the hands over my eyes said in a giddy voice.

I reached up and clasped the hands, bringing them down to my heart. "I thought you would never come." I said with a smile as I turned towards the love of my life. I planted a soft kiss on her lips before releasing her hands.

"Are the rumors true?" Elli asked.

"The ones about my family showing up? Yup." I replied. I looked around the ranch, trying to locate my brother. "My brother is somewhere around here." I commented.

"Really? You'll have to introduce me to them some time."

"I'm not sure if you want that." I stated thinking about what my mother would say.

"Oh, come on! They can't be that bad!" Elli complained. I gave her a look of disbelief, which caused her to go, "Oh…"

I shrugged my shoulders. "If you really want to meet them, how about dinner at the Inn tonight. You can bring Stu and I'll bring my mother and brother. What do you say?" I suggested.

"Sounds great! Oh, look sharp! The Judge is heading your way!" Elli warned before backing away from myself and Blimp. I immediately snapped to the military stance of attention.

The Judge stopped in front of me and began looking me up and down. "What kind of farmer are you?" The Judge asked with a hint of disgust evident in his voice.

"I'm a damn good one, sir!" I yelled back, much to the Judge's surprise.

The Judge hesitated for a few seconds, glaring at me. Then he looked over at Blimp. "Is that your cow?"

"Yes, sir!" Was my reply. Did I ever mention that I had spent five years in military school before my parents decided that I was normal enough for public schooling? Maybe that was where they went wrong with me. I had only thought of it as the Judge inspected over Blimp.

Judge moved back in front of me. He cleared his throat, "I'm going to tell you this straight. I don't think that you are suited to be a farmer. That cow is living proof of it. She's too young, just like you, to be involved in any quality farm. Plus, she is too fat. Better luck next year, if your farm hasn't gone under." With that the Judge headed on towards the next contestant, leaving me and the crowd shocked.

"She isn't the only thing that is too fat around here." I whispered to myself. I silently cursed when I saw the Judge turn around. He stormed back towards me and glared directly in my face. "Care to repeat what you just said?" He challenged.

"Sir! I was just commenting that my cow is not the only thing around here that could handle losing a couple hundred pounds." I retorted, loud enough to be heard by the crowd.

The Judge appeared ready to explode. He was about to say something, but decided against it and headed to the next farmer. A let out a breath of relief. Apparently, my people skills were working in top order. That would prove useful when combating my mother in a verbal battle.

The Judge had finished with the last contestant and was conversing with Barley. Barley appeared to agree on whatever the Judge had decided. Barley cleared his throat and announced, "We have reached a decision. Third place goes to Farmer Orlando from Harukasa Village! He receives the cash prize of one thousand gold pieces." The guy beside me walked forward and received his prize.

It was the Judge's turn to announce second place. "Second place gets that." The Judge pointed to the barn doors where May was leading a baby calf out. The crowd let out a round of "It's so cute!" and the likes. "Second place will also receive a thousand gold pieces. And this prize goes to Captain Tint of Mineral Town!"

The crowd cheered wildly as I headed towards the Judge and Barley. I shook hands with Barley and was about to shake the Judge's hand when he stopped me. "I wasn't judging just the cows. I was judging the farmers. A good farmer has a strong backbone, which you proved with your remark. That's why you received this prize."

"Thank you." I said as I shook his hand and collected the prize money. May had the calf cradled in her arms and carefully handed the tiny beast over to me. "I'm naming this one Cheese Puff." I declared, continuing my trend of stupid names for my animals.

I returned back to my spot, where Elli was waiting. "Congratulations!" She exclaimed as she embraced me in a hug. "I wonder who won." She commented upon releasing me.

I scanned the remaining farmers and their cows. Most of them seemed to be average, not much of a problem. But there was one farmer who stood out to me. He was wearing a white shirt beneath the coveralls. He wore a red bandana around his neck and a blue and yellow baseball cap covered his brown hair. He seemed very familiar to me, but I couldn't remember where I had seen him before. Then it hit me, just as the Judge was making the first place announcement. "First place goes to Jack from Forget-Me-Not Valley!"

"_That was who it was! It was the farmer from the games! So he does exist._" Jack walked forward and received his prizes. On the way back he stopped in front of me. "Better luck next festival." He commented sarcastically before returning to his cow. I could tell that this was going to form into a great rivalry.

The crowd began to disperse. "See you at dinner." Elli said as she bid farewell and headed back into town.

I finally spotted my brother. He was sitting against a fence and was engaged in deep conversation with Jessica, Evan's daughter. "Hey, Neil! We're leaving!" I yelled at him as I started to pull on the rope I had tied around Blimp's neck. I was quite surprised when I saw Jessica give my brother a kiss before she left.

Neil was blushing when he walked up to me. "You saw that, didn't you?" He asked as he straightened his hat.

"You just had to find a girl, didn't you?" I commented as we headed down the dirt path towards home.

The farm was pretty much exactly the way that we had left it. The only difference was that my mother had sat herself down at the base of my door. Apparently she had made it out of the creek. I called Epona over and removed my keys, which I tossed to Neil. "You can go let her in and make yourself comfortable. I'll take care of these two."

I took Blimp and Cheese Puff to the barn. Surprising how in one day the number of occupants at my farm increased by four. I placed some food in the feed stalls and headed back towards the house. I could hear arguing coming from inside. Apparently Neil had told mother that he wanted to stay.

I waited till the argument died down before going inside. As soon as I set foot inside my mother turned on me. In her hand she was holding the Blue Feather. She appeared really angry as she backed me into a corner. "I know what this is for! How dare you consider marriage before you even introduce the girl to me. I demand to meet this girl!"

"How bout at supper, tonight? Is that soon enough for you?"

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A/N: _I decided to end here simply because this was turning into a really long chapter. Expect the next one to be about the same length._

_Wow, I sure did include a lot of things in that chapter. Mom is a bleep, Neil is a ladies man, I introduced a rivalry between Jack and Tint, and have an interesting show-down planned on the horizon. Have fun waiting. Till then, Tint out._


	13. The Mother Meets The Lover

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 13: The Mother Meets The Lover**

_A/N: With this chapter I take that special leap past unlucky thirteen and onto new and greater things. Prepare for an emotional roller-coaster over these next few chapters. There is some language in this chapter that may offend some people, but I feel that it is deserved. The reason as to why Mother doesn't have a name: she doesn't deserve one._

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"**You **made plans for dinner without my approval!" Mom roared in outrage.

I shook my head in disgust. I don't know what it was with her, but nothing I did was good enough for her. "Look, I just figured that it would be a good opportunity to have dinner as a family once again." I tried to explain.

"You lie. You just want me to go to a public place where one of your redneck pals is waiting to assassinate me." I didn't know that she was paranoid, but you learn something new everyday. Plus it wasn't such a bad idea.

"Mother, just shut-up. I don't want you here. The sooner you find out what you want, the sooner you're going home." I had had enough of her. Just the fact that I was looking at her reminded me of life back there. Mostly it reminded me of Mage. I was fighting to suppress the memories of her on her deathbed.

Meanwhile, Mother was throwing a tantrum. "How dare you speak like that to me? I have half the mind to call your father's security force and have you taken into custody." Mother threatened as she tossed a chair to the side.

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to laugh in her face but I did it anyway. I snatched the Blue Feather out of her hand and tucked it in my pocket. "I'm going to the Inn. You don't have to come, but I don't expect you to be here when I come back." With that I stormed out of my own house, slamming the door behind me.

I headed off towards town, thinking about my predicament. "_Why can't she just leave me alone? My life has enough problems without her being around. I have to take care of the farm and my animals. Elli's pregnant, which means that I'm going to have to provide for both her and the child. Plus, if I do get married to her, where would Stu go? He'd probably come with Elli. To top it off, Neil wants to stay in Mineral Town. That means that there will be at least five people living at my farm. God, I'm going to have to do a lot of work."_

"Hey! Wait up!" I stopped and turned towards the voice. It was Neil and he appeared to be in a hurry.

"What is it? Are you coming to dinner?" I asked once he caught up to me.

Neil stopped to catch his breath before speaking. "Are you crazy? Leaving me alone with her?" He complained. "She nearly ripped my head off after you left!"

"What is she doing now?" I inquired as I continued towards the Inn. We were heading through town. I had left early and was taking the long way to kill some time.

"She is getting ready. She says that she will show up at the Inn in about an hour." Neil explained.

"So she decided to try to ruin something else." I commented as I turned around a corner. We were now right in front of the Inn.

I pushed open the door and beckoned for Neil to follow me inside. Ann was waiting just inside the entrance. "Oh, good evening Tint. Elli and Stu are already here. Go ahead and join them." Ann said with a big smile.

Just as Ann said, Elli and Stu were seated at a round table over in a corner. Upon seeing me, Elli jumped up and embraced me in a warm embrace. I placed my arms around her waist and gave her a quick kiss. "Elli and Su, I would like to introduce you to my brother, Neil." I let go of Elli and pointed towards Neil.

Neil tipped his hat in greeting. Elli said a polite hello. Meanwhile Stu had jumped out of his seat and headed over to Neil. "Cool hat! May I see?" Stu asked as he extended his hands up towards Neil.

To my surprise, Neil removed his hat and plopped it down on Stu's head. The hat was way too big and covered Stu's eyes. From what I remembered, Neil wasn't really that good with smaller children. A big smile had crept across Stu's face as he stumbled back to his chair. Neil sat down beside Stu and immediately engrossed the child in wild tales about cowboys.

"What is it with your family and children? You both seem like you would make great fathers." Elli said with a smile as she returned towards her seat.

"Maybe we just want to prove ourselves to our family. We don't have the greatest examples for parents." I replied as I sat down beside Elli.

"Speaking of parents, where are yours?" Elli asked as she looked around the Inn.

"Dad is on some business venture in Great Britain. Mom said she'll be here in about an hour. That means that we have that's how much peaceful time we have left." I replied.

Elli let out a little laugh that surprised me. "You talk about her like she's the devil. Nobody is that horrible."

Both Neil and I stared at her in disbelief. "You have never met her. She gets angry at the smallest of things." Neil stated before returning to his story.

"Oh, come on. If she's so bad, give me some examples of what she has done." Elli challenged.

"She sent me to a psychologist because I told my friends about a video game. She grounded Neil because he spent ten dollars more on my Christmas gift then on hers. I've been forced to pay for property damages that she's caused at school during a tantrum. She forced me to wear shorts for a month straight during the winter because I shaved my legs."

Elli burst out in a fit of laughter. "You shaved you legs? That is just too funny."

I grumbled to myself. I wanted that one to remain a secret. "It was part of a game of truth or dare back home. At least I got to make out with Mage because of it." I laughed to myself as I recalled the event.

"Tint… I don't want to hear about your old girlfriend." Elli warned. I could detect a hint of jealousness in her voice as she said it.

"Sorry. Just getting caught up in the memories. You're a much better kisser than she ever was." I apologized, stealing a kiss in the process.

"Yucky!" Stu exclaimed. I quickly glared over at the child, who pulled the hat down over his eyes again.

"Excuse me, but can I take your orders?" Ann inquired, causing me to jump. She had snuck out of nowhere.

"Give me the largest steak that you have. Well done." Neil quickly stated.

"Yummy! Steak! Me too! Well done!" Stu quickly followed suit.

Elli leaned over to Stu and whispered, "I don't think you can eat an entire steak. Why don't you get something else?"

Stu shook his head. "No! Me want steak! It'll make me big and strong just like Neil." Stu was right about one thing. Neil sure was a big guy. He was already the size of a professional football player and was still growing.

"Don't worry, miss. I'll eat whatever the little guy doesn't finish." Neil responded.

Elli and I gave Ann our orders and she headed off towards Doug at the bar. Neil was showing Stu a burn mark that he had received a few years ago. As I remember, it occurred at a camp fire. His marshmallow caught fire and he tried to extinguish it by shaking the stick up and down. The marshmallow went flying up into the air. He looked up and, you guessed it, the flaming marshmallow landed on his eye. It was fairly amusing as he shot himself in the face with the garden hose. He's smartened up quite a bit since then.

"So, when are those pineapples going to be ready?" Elli asked.

"My guess is that they should be done either late tomorrow or two days from now on the twenty-third. Why do you want to know?" I asked back.

Elli shrugged her shoulders. "The sooner you get the money from the pineapples, the sooner you'll be able to afford those house upgrades you need before we can get married."

Neil let out a surprised gasp. "Married?"

"Well, that is the idea. It is only proper for the parents of a child to be married before it is born. I'm just waiting for Tint to give me a Blue Feather. Then, I'll accept his proposal." Elli stated happily.

Neil looked over at me. "Oh, so that was why Mother was so upset over finding…"

"Hush up! It's going to be a surprise." I interrupted Neil in an attempt to keep it a secret. Elli suspected that I was going to propose and was probably waiting for me to pop the question.

I silently cursed as Elli became all excited. "Tint! You've gotten a Blue Feather! That means that any second you might propose. I'm so excited!" Elli exclaimed.

So there was one element of my plans ruined. Now Elli knew that my proposal was in the near future. "I still want to surprise you." I commented. I half expected that Mother would mention it to Elli sometime during the night.

Speak of the devil and it shall appear. The doors of the Inn swung open and in walked Mother. Ann approached her, but Mother silenced her upon spotting us. She approached our table, stopping behind an empty chair. "Sorry that I am late. I was not prepared and needed time to get ready." She actually was smiling as she took her seat.

"I am honored that you could spare the time. It means a lot to me and Tint." Elli replied with a smile that rivaled that of Mother.

Mother looked at me. "Tint. I haven't heard you called that in a long time. Isn't that the nickname that Mage gave you in junior high?" She inquired.

"You mean that Tint isn't your real name?" Elli stated in disbelief.

Meanwhile, I was sitting in confusion. Why was Mother acting so nice? Then, it struck me. She was going to behave nicely and slowly chip away at the relationship that existed between me and Elli. "Yes it is. I prefer that name to my actual name."

"How come you never told me that Tint was only a nickname?" Elli questioned.

"My actual name felt like a curse from my old life. I wanted to forget about that life." I responded, realizing after I said it that I had given Mother an opening.

"So you wanted to forget about your family. It makes you wonder if he's going to do it again." Mother lashed out with next attack.

Elli looked at me, clearly worried about the statement. "Would you?"

I shook my head quickly. "I would never abandon you. You mean too much to me."

Mother was relentless with her unstoppable attacks. "That's exactly what you always said about Mage. You didn't even talk to her when you found out that she had cancer."

I got up out of my seat. "That's a lie and you know it! I was with her night and day in the hospital. I never left her side."

"Except for when the night security guard caught you taking advantage of Mage when she was asleep. They put you in jail for quite some time. By the time you got out, she had already passed away." Mother lied.

"I would never do that!" I began to deny, but stopped when I felt Elli take hold of my arm. I looked over at her and saw that she was on the edge of tears. "What?" I asked.

"You didn't do anything to me when I was recovering from the bullet wound, did you?" Elli pleaded. Mother was on the verge of victory. Elli was believing what she was saying and it was tearing away at who she thought that I was.

"Bullet wound? So you shot another person, didn't you?" I cringed at this remark by mother. I knew that I could no longer defend myself against her.

Elli pulled away from me. "You shot somebody?" She asked in a scared voice.

"So you never told her about that incident. Can't blame you. Couldn't charge a minor with murder." The smile on Mother's face was sickening as she succeeded. I placed my hands over my ears and shook my head in disbelief. Elli had tears running down her cheeks as she began to comprehend the lies that Mother was telling.

"I never killed anyone." I yelled. Everyone else in the Inn was staring at me, horrified by what they were hearing.

"Except for Deanna. Just because she claimed that she was having your child. I'm sickened to be in the same room as you, child killer." Mother accused.

"Oh my Goddess! That's why you haven't proposed to me. You never planned to. You were just going to kill me, because I'm pregnant." Elli wept.

Mother heard this news and fell silent. "So, he found a slut here. That's why he didn't want to go home." She whispered silently.

"Look Elli…" I reached over to her but she twisted away from my outstretched hand.

"Get away from me! I never want to see you again!" Elli yelled and stormed out of the Inn. I was speechless. In less than ten minutes, Mother had managed to ruin two seasons of love. I looked at the other villagers for support, but they quickly turned away. Even Doug turned away from me when I looked at him.

"Neil, can you take Stu to his house?" Neil quickly complied and pushed Stu outside. I glared at my mother, ready to release my hatred upon her. "I hate you. You wonder why I ran away and never went back. The answer is awaiting your gaze into a mirror. You are a bitch, beyond the level of bitchiness that had previously been undiscovered. You have ruined what I have worked so hard for."

"Don't be so dramatic. Now you can go home with us. You have nothing remaining here." Mother has shown her true intention. So that is why she came to Mineral Town.

"You can go to hell, where you came from. I'm still going to stay here. At least I have Grandpa's farm left." With that I turned my back to her and headed out the door.

I was determined to go find Elli and try to repair the damage that Mother had caused. It was going to be difficult, but I had to try. I wasn't about to let some damaging lies destroy our relationship.

First, I tried her house. Stu and Neil were there, but no Elli. I tried the Clinic, although it was closed. No luck. The same went for the Church. I was headed across the Square when a noise stopped me. A girl was humming a tune that sounded all too familiar to me, although I had never heard it before. The humming was coming from the beach.

I headed down the staircase and looked over the sandy beach. Nobody was there. I was about to give up my search when I spotted a figure standing at the end of the dock. I carefully approached, trying desperately to make out who it was. I was overjoyed when I discovered that it was indeed Elli and she was the one humming the tune. "Catchy song." I commented as I stepped onto the beginning of the dock.

"Don't come any closer." Elli warned as I took another step closer. I could make out that she was holding onto something and it was tied to her leg. "I don't want to look at you."

"You don't have to look at me, just listen to what I have to say." I pleaded. Now I could see that Elli was holding onto a large boulder. I realized that she was intending to drown herself. "Don't do it."

"Why shouldn't I? You lied to me! You never even told me your real name. I thought that you were a good guy and it turns out that you are a perverted psychotic killer." The words hurt, especially coming from her.

I took a step closer to her and she shuffled closer to the edge. She was balancing on her heels, rocking back and forth over the water. "I told you that meeting my Mother was a big mistake. Look what she has done to you."

"I'll tell you what she did! She opened my eyes. I should have known from the start. That's why you had to get rid of Tim. He must have known about your past and he was just trying to protect me. And I killed him because of it."

"Look Elli, it is all a lie. She made it all up."

"I don't believe you."

"You've got to!"

"For all I know, it could all be the truth. There is no way to prove that you are the one telling the truth."

"But there is no way to tell that she is telling the truth either."

I was standing about half way down the dock. She still had her back turned towards me and refused to even look over her shoulder. "So you are going to believe some stranger over the one you love."

"Don't tell me about love. You don't know anything about it. I had my heart out on the line and you tore it away from me. You've left me broken."

"I know that I love you. That's why I'm going to ask you to marry me. What do you say?" I pulled the Blue Feather out of my pocket and held it out towards Elli.

Elli looked over her shoulder. "Tint… My answer is…" She began to turn around. The boulder slipped out of her hands, crashing to the dock. There was the sickening sound of wood splintering. Suddenly, the end of the dock gave way, sending Elli plunging into the water.

"NO!" I yelled out as I sprinted to the end of the dock, taking off my glasses and pocketing them along with the Blue Feather. I immediately dove into the dark depths of the ocean. All I could see was darkness, surrounding me on every side. I reached out desperately downwards, my hand finding nothing. I could feel my lungs ready to burst. I had to return to the surface.

I took a deep breath before diving back under surface. This time I could see a faint outline of a hand reaching upwards. I swam towards the hand. Her eyes were closed and she wasn't moving. I desperately reached for the rope around her leg and tugged frantically at it. Finally, the rope began to loosen and Elli floated free.

I grabbed hold of Elli and swam towards the surface. I could feel the rush of adrenaline coursing through my body as I breached the surface. My next goal was the shore, which I swam towards, driven by an unseen force.

It seemed like an eternity, but eventually my feet reached solid ground. I gently placed Elli on the sand. She wasn't breathing. "Don't die on me now, Elli. Hold on just a little bit longer." I felt like I was in a reenactment of mage's death. Sitting at her side, helpless to do anything.

I started artificial respiration, praying that somehow I would be able to save her. Things were looking hopeless. Then, much to my relief, Elli coughed. She rolled herself onto her side and spat out some water. Her breathing was returning to normal. She lay on her back and opened up her eyes, which looked up into my eyes. "Yes." She whispered weakly.

"What?" I asked confused about what she was talking about.

"I accept your Blue Feather." Elli whispered as a smile crossed her lips.

I pulled the Blue Feather out of my pocket and handed it to her. She clutched the soaked feather against her chest. A tear formed in her eye and rolled towards the ground. I leaned over her and kissed her, thankful that she was still alive. "You aren't worried about those things my Mother said?" I inquired.

Elli feebly shook her head. "If those things were true, then you wouldn't have saved me."

I smiled back at her as I climbed to my feet. She reached up into the air with her hand, begging to be helped up. I grasped hold of the hand and pulled her up into an embrace. I found myself staring out over the heartless ocean. "Oh my Goddess!" Elli exclaimed.

I released Elli from my grasp and looked at her. "What is it?" I asked.

Her face held a look of horror that I have never seen before. She pointed off into the distance. "Isn't that where your farm is?" I looked to where she was pointing. A cloud of smoke was billowing from Mage's Farm.

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A/N: _The roller coaster is done lap number one. I hope that you have enjoyed the ride. Please stay on board for a second lap which will start next Saturday night. Till then, Tint out._


	14. Fire!

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 14: Fire!**

_A/N: I will apologize to everyone for the amount of pain that I have put my people through. This will be the last chapter where Tint's mother is present. She may show up again near the end. I just have a chapter of trouble left. Just stay with me for a bit longer. Soon this story will become much gentler, but there will still be problems and conflict. You can't have a good story without conflict.  
To khdude: Yes I am Canadian, Yes Elli is my favorite HM girl, and Yes, Mage looks pretty much like Elli. The only difference is that Mage has glasses and her hair is a more blondish color. Other than that, yes they are pretty similar._

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The night sky above Mage's Farm was becoming hazy from the smoke that was billowing from it. I was desperate to run off and find out what was happening, but I was also worried about Elli. In her current weakened state who knows what could happen to her. Elli must have seen the dilemma that I was faced with. "Don't worry about me. I'll just rest here for a bit, then I'll go to your farm. Just go!"

I didn't need to be told twice. I was hurrying up the staircase at top speed. I could see flames flickering through the trees. The fire was already visible and I was still in the square. Definitely not a good omen.

I turned onto the path running behind the square. The sight was sickening. Everything was aflame, from the wood shack all the way to the chicken coop. The entire field was aflame. To top everything off, I could see the outline of a woman standing beside the fire. In her hand was a gas can.

I found myself looking over the flaming buildings with horror. I had slowed to a walk. "What do you have left here now?" Mother asked me when she saw me surveying the wreckage.

"How could you? What is it with you? Do you have some sort of problem with your children?" I asked in disbelief.

I was somewhat relieved when I saw my animals huddled in the far corner of the field, far away from the flames. It looked as if Homer and Epona had rounded up the livestock. I counted the animals. I was missing Cheese Puff, the calf that I had won from the Cow Festival. I looked around desperately, trying to locate the young cow. Nowhere to be seen, leaving inside of the burning barn as the only place left. I sprinted over to the barn door and struggled to open the flaming door.

"What is wrong with you? Are you going to risk your life for one filthy animal?" Mother demanded. Some of the other villagers were just arriving at the scene. Each of them had a look of horror that mirrored my own.

I finally tugged the door open. I stopped and stared at my Mother. "When I get done saving Cheese Puff, I'm making sure that you are arrested and sent as far away as possible." I threatened. Just as I said it, Officer Harris approached my Mother and slipped a set of handcuffs on the madwoman.

The barn was full of smoke. I could hardly see anything inside. "Cheese Puff where are you?" I yelled out and listened carefully. A faint moo replied.

I headed towards the sound, stumbling across broken beams. The heat was unbearable, causing me to sweat like mad. My vision was becoming extremely hazy. The next thing I knew, I was crawling along on my hands and knees, coughing from the smoke inhalation.

My hand stumbled across something. It had to be Cheese Puff. I scooped up the calf and covered my eyes. I made out the faint outline of the door and the fresh outdoors. I took a few steps towards the door, but stopped when I heard a creaking sound above me. I looked up and lost my breath at the sight of the falling rafter headed straight towards me.

**My **eyes fluttered open. I found myself lying on my back on a patch of grass. There were a lot of blurry faces gathered around above me. "He's coming to!" Someone announced excitedly.

"Surprised he's waking up after that beam nailed him in the head." Another voice stated.

"It's Tint, what do you expect? You think that he'd let one flaming stick finish him off?" Yet another voice laughed.

"That stick required four of us to lift it off of him. He was only lucky that he has that pond located nearby. We never would have put out the fire in time without it." The owner of the first voice added.

"He even managed to use his own body to shield that calf from the rafter. That's what I call a hero." I could tell that voice belonged to Elli. She was sitting beside me, holding a damp cloth against my head. I tried to sit up, but she kept me down. "Don't try to move, you'll only cause the bleeding to get worse."

"Oh that's great." I whispered sarcastically. "Been here less than two seasons and I have an injury list that rivals stunt doubles."

"At least you're still alive." This voice came from Neil. He was standing at the edge of the ashes that once was my field.

"What was saved?" I asked, once again trying to sit up and look around. Once again, Elli pushed me back.

"The news isn't good. Not a single building is left standing." This answer was supplied by Mayor Thomas. I cringed at the news. "I can't believe it myself. We all tried to save what we could, but we were too late."

"She even burnt down the doghouse." Neil stated.

"Where is she? I'm going to make her pay for what she's done!" I struggled to get to my feat and managed to succeed this time. Thomas was right. A pile of ashes is all that remained of my barn, the chicken coop, the house, the doghouse, the lumber shed, and the stable. The field was no longer a rich color, for it was now charred black and covered in the ashes of the pineapple crop that had been growing there.

"She's already on her way back to Canada. Harris ushered her out of here before any of us could get to her." Elli commented.

"I looks like she got what she wanted. I've got nothing else to live for here." I had fallen to my knees, ready to break into tears.

"That a lie and you know it!" Elli wrapped her arms around me and held tightly. "You've still got me and the animals and all of your friends. I'm sure that we can come up with something."

"That's a great idea, Elli! The residents of Mineral Town are all very good people. I'm sure that they'd be willing to do something to help." Thomas announced.

For the first time, I noticed that most of the townspeople were already gathered around. "Did they all help?" I asked.

Neil nodded his head. "Most of them got here before I did. By the time I got here, there was already a couple of dozen of them here, fighting the fires."

I got up to my feet and headed towards the crowd. I could a faint sound coming from the crowd as I neared. It sounded like applause. The applause began to grow as I got closer. Soon it was a deafening roar.

"I don't know what to say. There is no way that I can repay all of you for your help. The only thing I can do is say thank you." A small teardrop escaped from my eye and slid down my cheek.

"You can invite us to your wedding!" A voice called out from the back of the group. I felt my cheeks redden as I looked over at Elli. She had a look of innocence across her face. "What! You expected me to keep it a secret!" She called out causing me to chuckle.

It felt good to laugh. "Ok! You're all invited!" I announced to a round of cheers. "So what are we going to do about this?" I asked as I motioned towards the wreckage.

"I've got some excess lumber. I say we rebuild this place for Tint. Except, make it big enough for the entire family!" Gotz suggested.

Doug took a step forward and cleared his throat. "I've been saving up the money that you've spent at my bar. It should be enough to fund this project." The sad thing is that Doug was probably right.

"I could take your animals home with me to Forget-Me-Not Valley and take care of them there until you get everything back up to par." A voice suggested.

"Jack, you're still here?" I asked when I spotted the farmer amid the crowd.

"Of course! My wife just loves those Pink Cat flowers. I was going to collect some tomorrow before I left. I was going to get some today, but apparently someone had emptied the entire field of them." Jack admitted.

"Sorry about that…" Neil said apologetically, causing us all to laugh. He was following the same routine that I had when I came to Mineral Town. Except he didn't have the bruises from that demon tree.

"Then you can stop by in the morning and pick up my livestock. Just take good care of them." I warned, but couldn't help cracking a smile. Everything was looking up.

"It's settled then. Whoever wishes can come by tomorrow and lend a hand. It ahs been a long evening, so let us call it a day." Thomas announced. The crowd agreed and went their separate ways, leaving behind only myself, Neil, and Elli.

"What about us? Where are we going to sleep?" I asked, mostly to myself.

Elli overheard me and was quick to offer a suggestion. "Tint you can spend the night at my place. I'll just ask Stu if he wants to spend the night at the Inn if Neil's there."

We arrived at Elli's place in shortly afterwards. Stuimmediately accepted the offer once we explained what had happened. We were all gathered inside of Elli's house. Stu bolted towards the door, tugging Neil along with him. "Now behave yourselves. There are two beds there, use them both." He smiled slyly as he was pulled out the door by Stu.

"Where's the fun in that?" I shouted after him. I turned over to Elli and smiled slyly at her. She was already getting into the nearest bed. She noticed the look I was giving her and shook her head, pointing at the second bed. "That isn't very nice." I stated as I headed towards that bed.

"You take everything so seriously. I was just kidding." Elli said with a laugh. She had moved over to make room for me and was patting the bed beside her. At least the day was having a good ending.

**The **smell of something cooking woke me up. I glanced up towards the kitchen area and saw Elli making breakfast. "I didn't know that you could cook." I commented as I slid out of bed and began tying my boots.

"I didn't know that you snored." Elli retorted, but couldn't help laughing a bit.

"Come on! I don't snore!" I stated defensively.

"You're right, you don't snore. You use a chainsaw in your sleep."

I had walked up behind her and slid my arms around her waist. I looked over her shoulder. "What'cha making me for breakfast?" I asked.

"This is all for me. You're going to have to make your own." She replied as she piled the eggs and toast onto her plate.

"That can't all be for you!" I said in disbelief.

"It's not all for me. A pregnant woman has to feed for two." She answered as she sat down at the table.

"You still don't look pregnant." I grumbled as I cracked a few eggs into the frying pan.

"Thanks. I'm only just only over a week pregnant. I shouldn't start showing signs until the middle of next week." Elli replied as she shoved a mouthful of food into her mouth.

"You know a whole bunch about babies, right? You were the midwife of the town for quite some time. Then you should be able to figure out the due date." I commented as I waited for my food to be ready. I still wasn't used to making my own food for breakfast. I missed Chef for that. He really was an amazing cook and should've entered the Cooking Festival.

Elli got up from her seat and headed over towards a calendar on the wall. She began counting days as she whispered, "Two seasons since insemination… Let's see… That would make the due date… About the thirteenth of December." She stated with triumph as she returned to her seat.

My food was ready. I transferred it all to a plate and sat down beside Elli. "That isn't very far off. Which reminds me, when are we planning the wedding for?" I asked.

"How about the day that Mage's farm is reconstructed? It would make a very nice opening ceremony." Elli suggested.

"That works for me. I should hurry up and get to the farm before Jack comes by for the animals." I said as I finished up the last bit of breakfast.

"Sure thing. I'll be there in about an hour. I have to get Stu and Neil first." Elli gave me a kiss before I headed out the door.

**The **farm was in the same state as it was yesterday. Ashes everywhere. The animals had huddled together for warmth near where the house once stood. "Hey guys. Sorry that there aren't and places for you to stay indoors." I apologized to my animals.

"I'll make sure to give them a good place. My barn's pretty much empty and I don't have a single chicken of my own." Jack stated. He surprised me. I didn't even see him approach. His cow was hauling a wagon loaded with cages.

"It's so generous of you to volunteer to take care of my animals for me. Keep the profits as payment for your hospitality." I suggested as I began to help him place my chickens inside of the individual cages. We then attached Blimp to the cart and placed Cheese Puff among the cages.

"I'm sure that you'd do the same for me if it was my farm that burnt down." Jack replied. He paused for a bit before motioning over to Epona and Homer. "You keeping those two?"

I nodded my head in response. "Homer and Epona are both too young to be left with a stranger. I'm only letting you take care of Cheese Puff because she'll be better off with you than here. Plus, she doesn't know me that well yet."

"I understand." Jack reached out his hand. "Well, I best be on my way. Just come by my farm when you want the animals back."

I grasped his hand and shook it. "Have a safe journey." I encouraged as he climbed atop his wagon. Before long, he was a speck in the distance as he headed off past Mother's Hill.

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A/N: _So maybe the second lap of the roller coaster wasn't as good as the first. At least Mother is gone. I don't know if I got the due date right or which direction Forget-Me-Not Valley is from Mineral Town. If anyone has any comments on this please tell me._

_On another note, this will be my last update for over a week. The play that I am part of has four practices and four performances coming up within the next week. This is above and beyond school. I won't have any time to write up the next chapter. I promise that I will update the first chance possible. Till then, Tint out._


	15. Rebuilding Mage's Farm

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 15: Rebuilding Mage's Farm**

_A/N: Almost there! I can't believe that this fic is nearly at the 100 review mark. I appreciate every single review that you guys have given and thanks for the support that you have offered. I can guarantee two straight chapters of a more peaceful lifestyle. I'm afraid I can't guarantee anything after that._

_Oh, and FYI: Mage is doing extremely well and we are getting plans ready for our joint fic._

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**Jack **and animals had just disapeared into the distance. I was back to where I had started, except with even less than that. Homer and Epona watched silently as I walked through the field of ashes. I still had trouble believing that my mother would go to such extremes to ruin my life.

An early morning mist had covered the ashes, giving the ruins an eerie, almost haunting appearance. Visions of hatred fueled flames destroying everything in their path filled my head. I stopped at the charred remains of a pineapple.

These pineapples were supposed to provide me with enough cash to provide for every aspect of my wedding, the house upgrades, everything. Now, I was getting all of these things for free. I would have to do something to repay the village, but I would think about that later.

"Hey! Tint! Come over here and help me!" A voice called from across the stream.

I looked over towards the source of the voice. "Sure thing, Gotz!" I yelled back. Gotz was pulling a cart stacked with lumber and he seemed ready to collapse from exhaustion. I ran up beside him and took hold of one of the cart's handles. "You sure do have a lot of lumber here." I commented, taking a look over the cart's contents.

Gotz wiped a handkerchief across his forehead. "You're telling me. There's at least thirty thousand pieces here. Plus, Kai and Rick are bringing the second cart. They should be here any second."

The two of us pulled the cart and its contents over the tiny bridge at the far end of my farm. A third set of hands helped us as Doug appeared out of nowhere. "How long did it take you to cut all of this wood?" I asked Gotz as we pulled the cart to a stop. Quite a few more villagers had popped up and were lending a hand unloading the cart.

Gotz shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know actually. My best bet would be about two years or so."

My mouth hangs open as I stared at Gotz in disbelief. Here was a guy, who was almost like a stranger to me, who was willing to give up two years worth of work just for me. The sheer size of the contribution was shocking. "Thank you." I managed to say at last.

"No problem kid. Just do me a favor and keep that mother of yours as far the hell as possible away."

"Deal!" I laughed.

Kai and Rick were just arriving with the second cart, but they had an additional pair of helpers. Neil was pulling harder than a workhorse while Stu tried desperately to make himself noticeable. I was about to call something out to them when a pair of arms reached around my stomach. "Hello Elli." I commented as I twisted around to face my fiancée. Her gorgeous brown eyes shimmered beautifully with an amazing twinkle that would make the stars jealous. I began to lean towards her mouth to give her a kiss.

"Are we ready to begin?" Gotz interrupted.

Elli began to flush a bright shade of red. I chuckled to myself as I scratched my head. "I'm ready whenever you guys are." I called out.

I got my first look at the people who had gathered to help. From what I could tell, nearly every single villager had shown up to help. Each and every one of them seemed eager to get started. I felt honored to be part of such a tightly knit group of friends.

"You guys heard him! Let's get this place cleaned up!" Gotz was turning out to be the foreman of the project.

The workers were split into two groups. Most of the people would work on cleaning out the ashes. About ten of the villagers hauled wheelbarrows full of ashes through town and out to sea. We had figured that it would be the best place to deposit the remains of my past.

The few remaining helpers were busy creating the blueprints for what the farm would look like afterwards. The group consisted of myself, Elli, Neil, and Gotz. We had decided to build most of the building exactly as they were before the fire. An extension would be added onto the barn so it would be able to house twenty animals instead of ten.

Another decision that we reached involved Neil. A second house would be built beside the stable. The house would be about the same size as my house used to be before the fire.

Regarding my actual house, many changes were going to be made. A kitchen was added on along with a small bedroom for the child when it grew up. We even decided that we were going to add a master bedroom on a second floor. I couldn't wait to see the finished project.

With the planning done the group of us joined the others in the cleanup. The farm was already beginning to look more normal. The sun was just setting off in the distance, signaling us that we should call it a day. One day of work and we had finished removing the ashes from the scene.

**Day **two marked the start of the actual construction. We started on the chicken coop and planned on working our way around the field. The women of the village were busy tilling the soil, preparing my field for the Fall crops that I had been given as a gift from Jeff.

It was a couple of hours after sunrise when Neil pulled me aside. "What is it?" I asked as he looked around.

"Brett… Sorry, I mean Tint. I haven't had a chance to tell you this yet, it's a secret. It's actually the reason why I came to Mineral Town with Mother." Neil began to explain.

"Hurry up and tell me. I sort of have to get back to helping the other guys." I said, motioning towards the construction that was taking place. They were just pulling the fourth wall into place.

"As you already know, Mother came here to sabotage your progress. What you don't know is why she did it." Neil stated.

I shrugged my shoulders. "That's easy! She hates me! That's why she did it."

"Partially, but not entirely true." Neil held up his finger as if trying to prove a point. "It has to do with Dad's success over the last year."

"Quit speaking around the subject and just tell me already!" I demanded.

"About five years ago, Dad was issued a challenge by a billionaire. He was given a list of twenty towns around the world and was ordered to get rid of these towns and build resorts and malls in their places. Mineral Town is on that list."

"You're telling me that our Dad is the one who is putting all this pressure on me to succeed! He's the one who wants to buy the town! I can't believe it!" I admitted in disbelief.

Neil placed his hand on my shoulder in reassurance. "I know. They're both heartless greedy idiots. Willing to betray their own kids to make some decent money."

"How come I never heard about this challenge before?" I asked.

"I never learned about it myself until after they found out you went to Mineral Town. Apparently, they wanted to keep it a secret so that neither of us would remember anything about Grandfather's farm. Now take a look at us; we're living where they least wanted us to be."

This wasn't making much sense. Why would my parents not want us to remember anything about this place? What had happened here that made them hate this place so much? I asked Neil these questions, but he had no better idea than I had.

"Are you guys going to sit there and do nothing or are you going to help us with the roof?" Somebody asked from the chicken coop.

"Sorry, we'll be right over!" I called over, then to Neil, "I'll ask around and see if I can find out anything." He nodded in response and made his way over to the construction.

A few hours had passed and I had yet to find out anything of interest. Nobody I talked to had any idea about my parents other than my mother's recent activities. According to the villagers, my grandfather had kept to himself mostly.

The next person on my list was Barley. He was the oldest member of the village, so if anyone knew anything it would be him. I found Barley watching over Stu and May as they played with Epona. "May I ask you a question?" I asked Barley as I stepped up beside him.

"Go ahead and ask." Barley replied, his eyes never leaving the children.

I cleared my throat before asking my question, "Do you know anything about my parents?"

I saw Barley was having trouble forming a response to the question. After a few second he finally came up with an answer. "Your grandfather was a great man. He took excellent care of this farm, just as you have been doing. In fact, you remind me of him when he was your age."

"Thanks." I said, blushing a little from the compliment.

"Anyways, your grandfather was an amazing family man. He treated his wife with the utmost of respect. The same went for his son, your father. Well, when your father was sixteen or so, a wealthy family made a visit to Mineral Town. The wealthy family stayed in Mineral Town for about a year.

To simplify the events that occurred, your father fell in love with the daughter of this family. He ended up proposing to this young lady and they got married. Now, your grandfather was very happy for your father, mostly because he know had a family to pass his farm down to when he retired. But, everything didn't go as planned."

Barley paused his story. I could see that it was becoming difficult for him to tell this story. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." I offered.

"No, I will continue. You should know this story. Your grandfather had offered the farm to your father and his wife. Your father would have gladly accepted, but his wife's parents refused to let their daughter live and work on a farm. Your father had a choice to make. He could either live on the farm as his father wanted or he could move to the big city with his wife's family. You can guess what he chose."

"He chose the city." I stated.

Barely nodded his head. "Now, your grandfather was heartbroken. His wife passed away later that year. Everything was going horribly for him, but he continued on with the farm. It was about seven years after your father left when another visitor arrived. This visitor was you. You were only three or four years old at the time.

From what your grandfather told me, your parents had left on vacation and didn't want to take you. They just dropped you off here and left you to fend for yourself. They never even asked to see if your grandfather was still alive. Your parents are truly heartless people.

Your grandfather was overjoyed to have family at the farm once again. You had so much fun when you were here. But then one day, your parents arrived and hauled you back home. Ever since you left, your grandfather told everyone in the village that he was going to leave his farm to you. Everyone thought that he was crazy, mostly because they had thought that his child had died along with his wife.

I know that it is your father who is threatening to destroy Mineral Town and build that mall. Its part of a contract that was inserted into your mother's parents' will. Your father had to remove all traces of his life before he got married. Mineral Town is in the way of his inheritance. I'm afraid I don't know anything more than that."

I was stunned. So my parents did have messed up reason for hating me. It was all because they were willing to remove all traces of my father's past just to inherit some money. That explained why my mother was so desperate to get rid of me. It was all beginning to make sense. "Thanks for clearing some things up." I said to Barley before returning to the construction.

The chicken coop was now finished and the workers were moving onto the main house. I found Neil and quickly explained the history to him. He was just as amazed as I was. "Are you telling me that we should've been living in riches?"

I chuckled at his response. "Yeah, sure. Mother's parents were billionaires and we lived like ordinary folks."

"At least we now get to make our own paths in life." Neil proclaimed.

**The **remainder of the construction took four more days to complete. It was the twenty-seventh of Summer. Tomorrow was going to be my wedding. The guys had decided to take me drinking to celebrate my final night as a free man.

A bunch of us were sitting at the bar at the Inn. Doug was providing us with free drinks for the night. "How do you like the farm?" Gotz asked from his chair.

I thought back to the beautifully constructed buildings. The work was truly amazing. "I love it!" I exclaimed to a round of cheers.

"Sort of hard to believe that you and Elli are getting married. Do you have any regrets?" Kai asked.

"Hell no!" I proclaimed before downing a drink.

I have to admit that I was getting a little scared. I was about to take a major step towards proving that I was an adult. But it was also taking another major step towards losing the freedom that I had grown to love here in Mineral Town. Hopefully, it was going to be worth it.

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A/N: _There you have it. A little history about why Tint and Neil don't get along with their parents. Next chapter is the wedding! Can't wait and I hope you like it when it comes out. I have planned my updates for over the Christmas holidays. I plan on uploading 22 chapters in the 25 days left until the end of holidays. I will have at least one update for nearly every one of my stories. Please enjoy my hard work._


	16. Mr and Mrs

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 16: Mr. and Mrs.**

_A/N: I wish to offer an apology. I may have given people false hope from my statement at the end of the last chapter. I had said that I was going to update all of my stories, but a problem has arisen. My computer has crashed, so I will not be able to get as much typing done as I had planned. I managed to write this chapter at school, which is now out for the holidays.. Hopefully my computer will be fixed really soon so I can continue with my stories. Sorry for the inconvenience. Well, anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and please review._

_One review away from #100… Wow. Thank you all so much. I'll try to keep you guys happy because your reviews have filled me with so much laughter, pride, and a sense of duty. I offer a salute to my readers, fans, and friends._

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**Marriage. **Not really something that you thinks about when you are still eighteen. But, here I was, sitting on the edge of my bed, watching the clock roll over to midnight. Today was my wedding day. In less than twelve hours the ceremony will start. I admit that I was scared. That explains why I was losing so much sleep over the nagging thought of this day.

I looked over at the big empty spot on the other half of the bed. A king sized bed is way too large for just a single person. Tomorrow night that spot would be filled by Elli. I wasn't sure if this was going to be a good thing or not.

Sure, I love Elli. I just didn't know if I was ready to take our relationship to that next, ever so important, level. I had never even thought of the idea of marriage before I came to Mineral Town. What was it about this place that had caused this change in me? Maybe, just maybe, I wanted to prove my family wrong and carry on the legacy of my dear old grandfather. The poor old man had his heart broken and never had a chance to get revenge for that incident.

It was time to weigh the pros of marriage against the cons. Maybe the scale would point out the obvious decision. Or maybe, end up being balanced, leaving me in the same position as I already was in.

Cons. Freedom, say goodbye to that little luxury. At least, that was judging from my parent's marriage. I would have to provide for a very large family, consisting of Elli, Stu, Neil, and the baby that was on the way. Responsibility. I would have to get used to that new facet of life. That probably meant no more drinking competitions against Karen.

Pros… "Give me a second to think." I sat there for a few minutes trying to come up with even the simplest of things that I could state. Eventually, I came up with a sole answer. Marriage was the ultimate sign of the love that exists between two people. But, was I ready to show this level of love?

Maybe it wasn't as bad as I thought. "Just go with your gut felling." I told myself as I laid back down on the bed. "Don't lose sleep over it. It will all make sense in the morning. Just go to sleep."

**The** time on the clock now read two o'clock. "So much for getting some sleep. Perfect day to develop a case of insomnia." I stated sarcastically as I climbed to my feet.

I gave Homer a friendly pat on his head as I walked past the foot of my bed. As always, he had passed out and was snoring loudly at the end of the bed. "He's getting bigger." I thought as I donned my housecoat and my pair of boots. I carefully stumbled towards the door and was confused when I found it to be open. "Why is the door to outside open? And why is it so warm in here if it's night out there?"

I should have remembered that this door led to the staircase downstairs instead of outside, like the old house. As it was, I found myself picking myself off the ground at the bottom of the stairs. Great way to break in the new house. Make big dents in the floor where I fall down.

The door to the outdoors didn't cause as much trouble as the first. The cool night air struck me with a soothing blast of a fresh breeze. Nighttime in Mineral Town was often very peaceful. Unfortunately, that peace had been shattered so many times since I came here. A nice stroll around the grounds might help me clear my mind.

There was a small archway erected beneath the tree, which had somehow survived the fire. A few dozen chairs were set up neatly. That was where the wedding ceremony was going to be held.

A few minutes later, I found myself standing at the edge of the pond near the hot springs. The sound of the waterfall was so soothing and relaxing. Nothing like what was going on inside of my head.

"What seems to be the problem, Tint?" A female voice asked from behind me, causing me to nearly jump out of my skin.

I quickly turned around to see who it was that had snuck up so silently behind me. "Not you again… Is this another dream of mine?" I asked the Harvest Goddess as she approached my side.

"No, this isn't a dream. I'm here in the flesh this time." The Goddess stated with a small chuckle. "I'm glad to see that Mage's Farm is back to operational status."

"The villagers where a great help. Almost everything seems to have gotten back on track." I commented glumly as I skipped a pebble across the pool. Tiny ripples trailed behind the pebble as it made its path.

"I take it that you are having doubts about your engagement to Elli." The Goddess said matter-of-factly.

I looked at her, surprised that she knew about the engagement. The Goddess saw my look and quickly explained. "Elli stopped by here yesterday. The two of us had a grand conversation."

"What did she say?" I inquired, instantly enticed by the turn that the conversation had taken.

The Harvest Goddess appeared offended. "What kind of a Harvest Goddess would I be if I didn't mess with the people's minds every once in a while? It just wouldn't be right. That's one of the privileges of being a God." With that she began to fade into the darkness, leaving only a shimmer of sparkles left where she had been standing.

"Oh come on! At least give me a hint!" I called out into the air.

The Goddess' voice echoed throughout the night. "It is like a pebble being tossed into the pond. By itself it is one tiny object. But the ripples that it causes can cover the entire pond. One pebble has the ability to affect the entire surface of the pond. But does it affect what happens beneath the surface? Figure the rest out for yourself."

"Pebbles and ripples! How does that help?" I sat at the water's edge for a few more minutes thinking about what the Goddess had said. What did pebbles and ripples have to do with anything? I shook my head in confusion as I tossed another pebble across the water.

"I figured it out…" I whispered to myself as I watched the pebble come to a stop on the shore across the pond. "The pebble is like the engagement and the pond is the relationship between me and Elli. The pebble changes the pond for only a short time, but the pond remains a pond. So that means that even though we are about to get married we still feel the same way about each other as when we fell in love. It doesn't mean that things are going to change like I had feared. Thanks, Harvest Goddess, that helps me make up my mind!"

I made my way back to my house and wandered up to bed. I fell asleep almost instantly.

"**Hey, **wake up! I'm not about to let my brother sleep in on his own wedding day!" Neil was shaking me awake.

I let out a huge yawn as I looked over at the clock. Six o'clock, on the dot. "Just under three hours of sleep last night." I commented to myself as I monotonously made my way through my morning routine. "What are you doing over here so early?" I asked Neil as I sat down at the breakfast table.

"Got kicked out of my own place by Elli and her bridesmaids. They're using the place as a changing room for the wedding. When does it start?" Neil was sorting through my food cabinet, scrounging for something to snack on.

I gulped down a spoonful of cereal. "Ten. That gives me another three more hours to sleep." I said, to which Neil laughed.

"I don't think so! Knowing you, you'll sleep an extra hour and miss the whole thing!"

"If that happens, Elli will come in here and drag me out there in my pajamas. I don't want to look like a fool on my wedding day… Oh… Crap! I just realized something… I don't have a tux! Elli's gonna kill me!" Stroke of genius, that's what to classify this as. An A-1, Copper top, 24 karat disaster.

Neil had a mischievous grin on his face. For the first time, I noticed that a large suit bag was hanging by the door. "Take a good guess what came in the mail today. You won't believe who it's from." He produced a letter from his pocket and slid it across the table to me.

I unfolded the paper and carefully read the message.

_Congratulations, Brett! I can't believe that my son is getting married. Sorry that I couldn't be there with you and Neil, but I've got business to attend to. I don't think that there is a tailor in Mineral Town, so I decided to buy you a tux for your wedding. I'm really proud of both of you. Living on your own is a hard job and from what your mother has told me, you seem to be doing just fine on your own. Looking back on the entire thing, I actually miss that farm. May this day be full of memories that stay with you throughout the rest of your life._

_P.S.: Two and a half years until I pass judgment on your farm. Good luck._

_With much love, Dad._

"I don't think that Dad's as evil as Mom is." I stated as I headed over to the suit bag.

"I know. He didn't even ask anything about the fire. Maybe Mother never told him about it." Neil had taken the box of cereal and his hand was scooping handfuls of the cereal into his mouth.

"Sounds like something that she would do. I feel bad for him. He's stuck by himself with her."

Neil shuddered at the thought. "It's not his fault that he wanted to make some money in life. I'm sure that if he never met Mother, it would be him in control of this farm."

"True. From what Barley told me, Dad used to love this place." I took the tuxedo out of its bag. It looked like it was something the James Bond would wear to a casino. "Nice! I'll go get ready. You can handle any guests that show up."

**My **watch told me that it was now five minutes ahead of ten. I had taken my place beneath the archway and was now silently waiting. Pastor Carter stood nearby, ready to begin the ceremony the instant that Elli and her bridesmaids exited the opposite building. Elli had chosen for all of the other girls in the village to be by her side. Neil and Stu were waiting behind me, with the later holding the cushion with the wedding rings.

Four minutes of waiting remaining. I looked over the crowd and was relieved to see every face brightly beaming happiness towards me. The pressure was wreaking havoc on my nerves. The sun wasn't helping much either. I swear that today had to be the warmest day of the entire summer. The last day has to be the best day.

We were down to three minutes. The silence was overpowering. The occasional cough shattered the empty void that was usually filled with pointless chatter. I could feel the crowd's eyes burning a hole into my head. Being the center of attention always makes me nervous. "Just forget about them." I whispered to myself.

Two minute warning. Time felt as if it was slowing down. Sometimes, I felt as if my watch was stopping and ticking a few seconds in the wrong direction. Millenniums seemed to drag by as I waited, silently counting down the seconds remaining.

T-minus one minute and counting. Why does drama have to be so dramatic? I just was expecting that something unexpected would happen any second now. Like maybe Elli's time is a few hours ahead of the time I was keeping. It seems like everything takes a turn for the worse with me. Hopefully today marked the point where that would change.

The door to the building creaked open and out emerged the procession of bridesmaids. They were dressed up in their Goddess Festival dresses, minus all of the flowers. Just the sight of the dress made me think back to the day when I first saw Elli. She was so beautiful, the way her eyes shimmered in the sunlight. The twirl of her skirt as she spun around. The way my heart stopped when I saw her.

I had the exact same feeling when she emerged from the house across the field. She looked so amazingly elegant in her wedding dress with her veil fluttering in the early morning breeze. She had a bouquet of flowers clutched tightly against her chest. Tears of joy were freely running over the smile that covered her face.

I took hold of her hand when she walked up to my side. Then, the two of us turned to face the Pastor as he began the ceremony. Elli looked over at me and whispered, "Ready?"

"Ready." I replied, loud enough for only her to hear.

We listened to Pastor Carter as he gave us the traditional speech at the beginning of every wedding. Then it was time for us to read our vows that we had wrote over the past week. I was the one who got to go first.

"Elli, ever since the day that I first laid eyes upon you, I knew that we would be standing here today. You are the only one for me and I wish to dedicate the rest of my life to you. Nothing will come between us, I promise."

Elli choked back her tears long enough to give her vow. "I never thought that I would find love. But then, you came along. My life has changed so much since I met you. I don't regret a single moment of it and wouldn't change any of it for the world. I want to be by your side for the rest of my life."

I could hear quite a few people crying in the crowd and among the bridesmaids. This was a very emotional moment in the history of Mineral Town. Even Pastor Carter had a tear in his eye as he continued the ceremony. "Now I must ask if anyone has any objections to Tint and Elli getting married please speak up now." I was relieved when nobody spoke up. "Tint, do you take Elli as your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do." I quickly replied. The hard part was over for me.

Carter turned to Elli. "Elli, do you take Tint to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do." The smile on Elli's face grew even larger.

"Stu, please hand the rings over to Elli and Tint." Carter commanded. Stu quickly waddled over and offered the two golden rings to us. We both took hold of a ring and slid the tiny objects onto the other's finger. "By the power vested in me by the Harvest Goddess, I know pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

I took hold of Elli and pulled her into a very deep, romantic kiss. The crowd erupted in a roar of cheers. Our lives were now connected even more so than ever before. Elli was right. I wouldn't change a thing.

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_A/N: So… Am I any good at the romance part? Just kidding. I brought a tear to Mage's eye when she pre-read this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as she did. I'll try my hardest to update before next Wednesday, but don't get too worried if I'm late. Till next time, Tint out._


	17. Tint's Visit to ForgetMeNot Valley

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 17: Tint's Trip To Forget-Me-Not Valley**

_A/N: Congratulations go out to Kirjava Deamon for being the one to give review number 100. My first reviewer also did number 100. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and I'm sorry that you couldn't be number 100. Maybe you can get number 150…_

_Sorry about taking so long for this update. I had no access to the internet over the holidays, so I had to wait for school. The holidays haven't been the kindest to me, but I will explain that after the chapter._

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**"So**, what should I call you now that we're married?" Elli asked as she looked around the building. It was her first time inside of my new house. The ceremony had ended shortly over an hour ago and we had already dismissed the guests.

I shrugged my shoulders as I opened up the fridge. "I don't really care. I'd be happy if you just kept calling me Tint."

"Awww… Where's the fun in that?" Elli commented with a slight laugh.

"What? You want me to start calling you sexipegs or something like that?" I called out as I grabbed a can of beer from a case inside the fridge.

"Ok, ok. I understand. I'll just call you Tint, like I've always been doing." She sounded slightly disappointed.

"If it's that much of a big deal to you, you can call me dear every once in a while. But, not in public." I warned.

"What's the matter, dear? You don't want to be embarrassed in front of your friends?" Elli came up behind me and draped her arms around me. I gave her a quick glare that showed her my disgust. "Ok, fine. Tint it is."

"Much better." I said with a smile as I relaxed myself into a chair. Maybe this marriage thing wasn't as bad as I had feared.

**The **two of us spent about a week as a sort of honeymoon. We spent the entire time locked away inside the house with nothing but each other. I felt that we had spent nearly every moment of the time in the bedroom. It was really a time to remember.

Neil did an amazing job taking care of the farm during the honeymoon phase. The fall crops were off to an astounding start. We decided that it was about time for me to head off to Forget-Me-Not Valley to retrieve my animals from Jack.

Today was the sixth of Fall. The trees had turned a peculiar shade of pink. I didn't even know that was possible. I swear, in the seventeen years that I had lived in Canada, I never once saw a pink leaf. Maybe, the people over here injected their drugs into the trees instead of themselves. I don't know, but no harm could come from thinking up a piece of wild reasoning.

Mayor Thomas was kind enough to provide me with a very detailed set of instructions that I needed to follow to reach my destination. "My guess is that it will take you about two hours each direction. Say hello to the villagers for me." Thomas bid me farewell as we reached the outset point for my trip.

"Sure thing, Thomas. I'll try to be back before nightfall. Tell Elli not to worry if I'm late." I gave a short wave as I started along the trail.

The directions to Forget-Me-Not Valley were very extensive. Climb Mother's Hill. Hike through the forest until you reach the main road. Head southward along the road. Find the road sign and follow its directions. Find the second road sign and do the exact opposite of what that one says.

Exactly seven hours later I found myself standing at the top of a hill, overlooking a small, quaint looking village. It was so much more spacious that Mineral Town and seemed to be a bustle of activity. A bunch of people were gathered around a rather fat man in a red jacket who was running a vendor stand.

The sun was just barely showing a tiny sliver over the far tree line. It was so nice to spend an entire day wasted away. Maybe I could do it more often.

I decided to ask for directions to Jack's farm. There was a lady wearing a yellow sundress and was working in a field of crops. She seemed like a suitable person to talk to. She caught sight of me, stopping her work and heading towards the fence. "Excuse me, Ma'am. Can you help me?" I called out to her as I leaned against the fence.

"Sure thing, stranger. What can I do ya' for?" She asked in a rather gruff voice.

"Can you point out where I can find Jack's farm?" I inquired.

"Of course I can. Just across the river and on the other side of those trees. You can't miss it." She pointed in the direction and smiled brightly.

"Thank you." I gave her a curt nod and followed her directions. The farm was in plain sight once I crossed the tiny bridge. I was nearly knocked breathless at the sight.

I was shocked by the sheer size of the farm. A huge pasture of lush green grass sat in the center of the farm. There were definitely more buildings on his farm, not to mention the fact that he had three fields for crops. I felt a tad envious.

"It is quite the sight." A voice sounded from beside me. I looked over in surprise and was relieved to see that it was only Jack. I was about to say something when Jack interrupted me. "Come, I'll introduce you to my wife. She's just inside, making supper." He beckoned for me to follow him as he headed towards one of the buildings.

The building turned out to be his house. Standing over the stove was a gorgeous woman in a green dress. She looked up slightly from her work when we walked in. "Tint, this is Celia, my wife. Celia, Tint." Jack quickly stated.

Celia gave me a short curtsey. "Thank you so much for lending us your animals. We needed that little extra bit of income to prepare for our next addition." Only now did I realize that her stomach protruded quite a fair distance.

"Oh, it's nothing. When are you expecting?" I inquired.

"Before the weeks end. We were thinking of calling it Tint, if it's a boy. That is if you don't mind." Jack explained.

"I'd be honored." I stated with a smile. This trip had taken a rather pleasant, but unexpected turn.

"Hey, Tint. Why don't you join me for a drink? You've had quite the journey." Jack suggested.

"That doesn't sound too shabby. Don't mind if I do." I replied. I bid farewell to Celia as I exited the house. She reminded me so much of Elli. Just thinking about it made me want to head home as soon as possible. "Better make it a quick one. I want to get home as soon as possible." For some odd reason, I was having an odd foreboding, as if something bad was happening.

"I don't think that it is safe for you to travel back to Mineral Town during the night. Bandits are said to roam the trail, just waiting for the opportunity to strike an unsuspecting victim." Jack warned.

"Then where do you suggest that I spend the night?" I asked.

"There should be an extra room at the Inn. It has been vacant ever since Nami left and returned to her home." Jack explained.

"I still want to head home as quickly as possible. I have a bad feeling that something has gone wrong back in Mineral Town." I commented.

Jack nodded his head in acknowledgement. "I felt the same way the first time I left Forget-Me-Not Valley after I got married to Celia. I'm sure it is nothing more than a sense of longing."

As we left the farm, Jack instructed his partner to get the livestock ready for my departure. It turned out to be a short walk to the bar from Jack's farm. "Hey there, Jack. Who's your friend?" The blond girl asked from behind the counter when we walked inside.

"Muffy, I'd like to introduce you to Tint. He's the farmer from Mineral Town that lent me his animals for this past little while." Jack explained as Muffy filled up two mugs and set them before us.

"A farmer! You know… I've always had a thing for farmers." Muffy stated seductively as she leaded over the counter. She then proceeded to give me a quick bat of her eyelashes.

"Sorry, but I'm married." I apologized.

The girl appeared disappointed momentarily, but quickly recovered. "That doesn't matter. I don't care if you're married or not, I'll still flirt with you." Muffy proclaimed.

"How many times have you been told not to drink while you're working?" Jack chuckled.

Muffy took offence to Jack's statement. "I have not been drinking! I'm just like this normally." She defended. She turned her attention back to me. "You know… I get off work at eleven. If you're still around, maybe you'd like to do something."

"Still not interested." I stated as I took a sip of my drink. At least that was what I was saying. Inside, every muscle in my body ached to give in to the temptations. I am sure that I would have easily surrendered if this had occurred before I had met Elli. But, events had already run their course, and I was not one who would easily betray his word.

"Suit yourself." Muffy commented as she focused on another customer who entered the bar.

"I think that I will turn in for the night. I want to get an early start in the morning." I excused myself as I got off of my stool. "Can you point me towards the Inn?" I asked Jack as I exited.

"Big building to the right." Jack said out of the corner of his mouth. He was engaged in a deep conversation with the new arrival.

The bad feeling in my gut was growing stronger. It was almost like someone was reaching out to me with the Force, a sort mind meld had joined myself to Elli. Sorry… a little Star Wars there. (I don't own Star Wars!)

Just as Jack had said, there was a room available at the Inn. I was directed up the staircase and towards the room by a very kind lady. The room was very orderly and clean, which surprised me for some reason. I was expecting the room to be a disaster area.

I was about to flop down on the bed when something caught me eye. There was a tiny book discarded away in the far corner. I collected the book, interest suddenly flowing through me. I opened up the cover, revealing only a tiny entry at the top. "He is…" followed by five hearts, crossed out with a heavy black marker. I could only wonder at what it meant.

Sleep had trouble finding me that night. I found myself staring at the ceiling, pondering. Why was I having this sense of foreboding? Surely nothing could have happened at the farm. Mother had been banished from the town, so she wasn't the cause of my worry. Neil would be able to take care of the farm; he had proved so much already. The baby wasn't due for another season and Stu was behaving as of late. But there was still something tugging in the back of my brain.

I couldn't handle it anymore. I got out of the bed and quickly got dressed. There was a clock sitting nearby, telling me that it was only two in the morning. Insanity had odd ways of striking fear into the hearts of men.

Jack's assistant was waiting outside the Inn when I exited. "I had a feeling that you would be leaving so early. Follow me, I will show you to the cart with your animals." The man said eerily as he beckoned for me to follow him.

The strange man led me to a solitary tree that stood amid a field of flowers. The scene reminded me of that cursed tree atop Mother's Hill. My animals were waiting patiently beneath the tree. The cart was loaded up and ready to leave. "Thanks for your help." I stated as I climbed into the driver's seat of the cart.

The man simply nodded his head in acknowledgment, returning towards Jack's farm. For a moment I envied the fact that Jack had an assistant to help with the farm. Then, I remembered that I had Neil currently under my employment and had access to the Harvest Sprites during the Spring season.

I pondered momentarily as I started the cart up the hill. Maybe I should have asked for directions back to Mineral Town. I didn't want to spend another day of getting lost amid the wilderness with the rumored bandits in the area. I shrugged away the thought and turned the cart towards the supposed location of Mineral Town.

**I **arrived, unscathed, at the edge of Mineral Town just as darkness began to fade from the town. Neil was waiting for me. He seemed worried as he took hold of the cart. "I'll take the animals. You just go to the clinic." The tone of his voice told me that something was wrong.

"What is it?" I asked, suddenly becoming very nervous. The gut wrenching feeling suddenly came back to me. My fears were realized when Neil somberly said, "It's Elli. Something happened to her."

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A/N: _This chapter is mostly just an inquiry to see if I can write a decent AWL fic. I'm not so sure if I am going to attempt it, mostly because I have two BTN fics planned, including rhe one that premiered today. I hope that everyone had a much better Christmas then I've had. I feel like I'm living through Chapter 1. Mage is in the hospital again. Happened on the 19th. I've been at her side ever since and have been typing my stories on my laptop while she sleeps. The doctors say that she'll make it, but her spirit has taken a really bad hit. She keep talking about everything that she never got a chance to do in life. Above all, she is regretting the fact that she will never be married. I went shopping for an engagement ring on the 30th. It's the least I can do for my best friend and love of my life. I'm giving her the ring on Friday after school. Peace out and keep the prayers coming. We really need them at the moment. Wish me luck…_


	18. The Reason Bad Things Happen

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 18: The Reason Bad Things Happen**

_A/N: I will leave the important author note till the end of the chapter. One that needs to be mentioned ahead of time. The Witch that I have in this chapter is in no way connected to my other fic. I found out today about the two new Harvest Moon games that are coming out soon. The Witch is actually a character that appears in one of the new versions and she serves as an opposing force to the Harvest Goddess. I have no idea what she looks like, so I'm making a guess. Natsume, do not sue me, for I hope that I am not leaking some secret that you have hidden. I do not own this Witch._

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**My **mind raced to figure out what could have gone wrong as I headed towards the Clinic. It seemed so far away, although I easily could have made it there in ten minutes. Now, these ten minutes seemed to take forever, even though I was running The Clinic was now in sight. Everything else seemed to fade away, forming a dull black background to my destination.

The early morning sun had vanished as if covered by a ominous veil of death. The only light that still shimmered with life was coming from the window of the Clinic. I found myself stopping at this beacon, peering into the building. Inside was the office of Doctor Evan. Through his doorway I could just barely see into the emergency room.

Elli was sprawled across the table with tubes and machines hooked up to her. Her chest rose with every breath that was being mechanically fed into her body. The doctor was standing beside her, searching through his medical books, shaking his head. What was it that had happened?

I couldn't handle not knowing any longer. I reached over to the door and attempted to push the door open, but it wouldn't budge. I tried the door a second time, this time pulling at the door, but with a similar result. Giving up on the door, I returned to my position at the window.

Now, Doctor Evan was looking intently at one of the monitors. I could faintly make out a faint, but high pitched wail. Evan solemnly walked over to the bedside, taking hold of the blanket that was draped over Elli. With one swift movement, he pulled the blanket up and over Elli's face. Next he looked at his watch and wrote something on his clipboard.

I was in shock. My eyes began to well with tears as I came to grips with what had happened. I couldn't believe it. Whatever had happened to Elli had been the death of her. Evan closed the curtain around the emergency room right as Stu waddled up to him. The doctor took a deep breath before stooping down to Stu's level. He must be telling Stu the bad news, because the young boy began whimpering before bursting out into tears.

"I just love messing with people's lives." A female voice stated from behind me. I turned to face the person who had snuck up without making a sound. Whoever she was, I was ready to take my anger out on her.

Standing before me was a woman who looked incredibly similar to the Harvest Goddess. This woman was shrouded with an evil black aura. Her hair was a dark red, pulled back into a long ponytail. Her eyes matched her hair color, giving her the appearance of a demon.

"Who are you?" I demanded as I stepped away from the window. I realized that even the floor had given away. The two of us were alone in the blackness, just like the first time that I had met the Harvest Goddess.

The woman snickered. "You've never heard of me? Comes as no surprise, the people around here don't really believe in me. I'm known around here as the Witch."

I nodded my head in understanding. Indeed I had heard of her. I often heard some of my fellow villagers use her name along with profanity and curses while they were drunk. She served as an opposing force to the Harvest Goddess, which was a surprise, seeing that they were sisters.

"Did you have something to do with this?" I asked as I pointed back towards the clinic, which had now become part of the darkness along with everything else.

The Witch let out a hideous cackle of delight. "So you finally figured who has been trying to mess up your life. That's right, it's been me!"

It made sense. If the Witch had been trying to mess up my life, she had been doing an extremely good job at it. This last attempt, though, had pushed me over the edge. It was time for the reckoning. "Why?!? Why are you focusing all of your hatred against me?" I demanded.

The Witch shrugged her shoulders. "I hate this place. Everyone is so happy. It makes me sick. I figured if I could break you, the rest of the village would soon follow. Too bad that this is only a test."

"What do you mean a test?" I inquired, letting the hatred in my voice echo my feelings.

"Wow, you sure are dense." The Witch shook her head in disbelief. "You should have figured out by now that this is only a dream. My sister and I only show ourselves to people who are asleep or in a 'life crisis." The Witch emphasized life crisis with a pair of finger quotes.

"You mean that Elli is all right?" I asked, relieved that I was only dreaming.

"She's still fine, nothing has happened to her. It's just that the two of you have been having too much fun lately. I was getting bored. You'd better wake up soon if you want to keep your chickens." With that the Witch vanished into the darkness.

I eyes began to flutter open. I was still seated in the cart, surrounded by trees. It was still dark outside; my guess was that the time was about five. Blimp had pulled the cart to a stop under a tree and was happily grazing the grounds. I must have fallen asleep on the way back from Forget-Me-Not Valley. A rustle sounded from the bushes nearby, attracting my attention. "He's awake! We waited too long." A hushed voice stated from near the source of the rustling.

I remembered the warning about bandits that roamed the woods. Suddenly the bushes erupted and I was surrounded by a half dozen men. I reached beside me for something to use as a weapon but found nothing. The next thing I knew, my arms were snared with a rope and I was yanked from my perch. I hit the ground with a heavy thud, knocking the breath from me.

The owner of the other end of the rope carefully approached me. He stared at me with interest, probably intrigued by the scornful look that I was giving him. I knew that if I managed to get loose, I had found targets to get revenge against. The Witch had unknowingly fueled the violent tendencies that had been held dormant since my mother had burned Mage's Farm down.

The man with the rope tied his end to a huge tree before joining his comrades in searching the cart. "Hey! Get away from there! Leave my animals alone!" I yelled out at the bandits.

One of the bandits stopped his search and walked over to me. Suddenly, a huge explosion of pain erupted in my side as he kicked out at me. I tried to make it to my feet and charge at him, but the rope kept me on the ground. The bandit smiled at my helpless state, taking great pride with every kick that he tolled out on me.

"Marcus, quit that! We have what we need. Let's get out of here!" The apparent leader of the group of bandits called out. He had climbed into the driver's seat of the cart and was ready to retreat. The one called Marcus heard the order, but was intent on dolling out another strike. His foot was raised in the air as he prepared to stomp my face against the tree trunk.

Suddenly the air was filled with a loud battle yell. A figure came crashing out of the bushes, heading straight towards Marcus. The bandit was caught off guard as the new arrival delivered a harsh tackle, sending the bandit into an unconscious pile in the bushes. I finally recognized who the new guy was. It was Neil! "What are you doing here?" I asked as he brandished a knife. The remaining bandits were encircling the two of us.

Neil used his knife to cut through the rope that had me bound. "Homer was complaining about something so I came out to check on him. I heard you shout out. I figured that you were in need of some help."

I looked in the direction that he came from. Just barely visible through the trees, I could see the outline of Mineral Town. As I watched, a couple of lights flickered to life. More reinforcements were on their way. The bandits seemed to notice this too, and were quick to make their escape. I was ready to give chase after them, but Neil stopped me. "Just leave them. They didn't steal anything. Plus, we have one of them." He pointed towards the knocked out bandit.

I walked up to Marcus. Now, I had the opportunity to get revenge. I was just about to kick the bandit when some other villagers showed up, among them was Officer Harris. I let out a small sigh as he came over and placed a pair of hand cuffs on the bandit, who was now coming to. "I'll turn this guy over to the regional police." Harris stated. "They've been looking for these guys fro quite some time." I was amazed at how prepared Harris was, like he was never off duty.

The group of us made the trek back to Mineral Town. Harris asked if I could go with him to deposit the prisoner and to give a statement. I agreed. Neil took control of the cart, leading the animals back to Mage's Farm.

Mineral Town didn't really have a jail. Harris used the Inn whenever he needed to imprison somebody. This was no exception, as Marcus was locked in one of the rooms. Harris then proceeded to use the phone to call the regional police force. "Are you alright?" He asked once he was done with the police.

I nodded my head in response, but winced in pain as I did so. Maybe the bandit had caused some damage with his attacks. Harris took note of the pain that I had unwillingly shown. "I'm adding assault to the charges against those bandits. You, in the meantime, should go to the Clinic and get yourself examined. I don't need you for anything else." He explained.

I thanked Harris for everything that he had done before excusing myself, making an exit. Then, I made my way to the Clinic. I was really hoping that I hadn't broken anything. That would have really sucked. I had already broken too many so far during the two months and a bit that I had stayed in Mineral Town. Maybe my meeting with the Witch would change that.

Evan quickly gave me an examination once I arrived at the Clinic. I was relieved to learn that I had only received some bruising from the encounter. Nothing more. I was just about to leave and head back to the farm when the Clinic doors rocketed open.

Elli came bursting into the examination room. She saw me and quickly collapsed into my arms. "I came as soon as I found out. I'm so glad you're all right." She managed to say through the tears that escaped her eyes.

I rubbed her back reassuringly. "Sorry to worry you. I just couldn't stand being away from you for any longer. I had to see you." I took hold of her hand, leading her back towards the farm.

On the way back, I spotted the Harvest Goddess and the Witch arguing. Elli obviously couldn't see them, because they were in clear sight. Between the Harvest Goddess and the Witch was a chalkboard, split into two columns, one for each. The Harvest Goddess triumphantly placed a mark under her side of the board. The two sides were about equal. Then, the two vanished into a cloud of smoke.

I was thinking about what the Witch had told me. She had said that if she could break me, she could break the village. What was so important about me? Then it came to me. Ahead of us was Mage's Farm. I realized that she was trying to stop me from succeeding against my father's challenge. That way, Mineral Town would be destroyed and her sister defeated. It all made perfect sense.

There were too many problems arising from this challenge. I had expected some mild problems, such as a passive rival in a battle for the love of a woman. Or maybe a bad bag of seeds that resulted in a poor harvest. But, I hadn't expected anything of the caliber of trouble that I had faced so far. Hopefully, peaceful times were ahead.

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_A/N: There you go. The chapter is done and it is time for the life update. The good heavily outweighs the bad. As of last Thursday, I am now engaged to Mage. It may seem a little stupid for a seventeen year old guy to be engaged, but it is really true love. If it wasn't for the cancer, I would have waited for another year or two. I got her to read your reviews and she became a lot happier. Thanks for your support, for it really means a lot to us. Till next time, Tint and Mage out._


	19. Family Expansion, Again

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 19: Family Expansion, Again**

_A/N: Finally, a chapter without a personal author note! I know, I'm surprised too. As one HM fan to another, I will share with you the knowledge I hold of the future. There are actually 3 new HM games coming out! HM:DS for GameBoyDS, HM:PSP for PSP, and HM:AWL for PS2. The two for the handheld systems come out May 5, 2005. I don't know about HM:AWL's release date. HM:AWL has a few expanded features that differ from the GC version. One feature is that you can choose from more than 3 possible wives, so Lumina becomes a possible choice. I know that DS and PSP are tentative titles, but are probably the same game. They are supposed to have an entirely new town with new people. I will supply more information in my profile as soon as I learn about it. Maybe if I have this fic done by that date, I may start a new fic based on these new games…_

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**A **lot has happened over the past season. The date today is Winter 15, and just as Elli had predicted, the baby was on its way. I was waiting in the lobby of the Clinic, patiently awaiting the arrival of the new family member. Both Stu and Neil were seated beside me. Inside the operating room, Doctor Evan, along with his wife and daughter, were working diligently, trying to deliver the child without any problems arising.

Let me tell you what has happened. The last season has been full of many small interesting events, but nothing that caused any big problems. It is very hard for me to remember everything but I will try not to miss any important details.

First off, is the matter of the band of thieves in the wilderness that had attacked me on my way back to Forget-Me-Not Valley. Mineral Town served as the head quarters for the police strike team that hunted down every single one of the bandits. Quite often, myself, along with a couple of other citizens, joined the police in tracking down the culprits.

It took us a full week, but we eventually rounded up the last one of the thieves. The police thanked Mineral Town heartily, promising that nothing like this would ever happen again. Once the path between Mineral Town and Forget-Me-Not Valley became safe, villagers from either settlement would frequently visit friends and family in the opposite town.

I received a letter from Jack that Celia had her baby. Just as he had said, Jack named the baby boy Tint. The day after I received the letter, I took the family to go visit our fellow farmers. Celia and Elli hit it off immediately, engrossing each other in boring talk about babies.

Neil, true to his nature, found a girl named Lumina. Lumina was about Neil's age, maybe a bit younger. She was obviously deeply in love with my brother. Little did she know, Neil was still dating Jessica, Evan's daughter. Elli and I were taking bets as to how Neil's plan was going to backfire. So far, he had been lucky.

The other lovers of Mineral Town were going through many different stages. Cliff had finally worked up the courage to ask Ann to marry him. She accepted. The same happened for Mary and Gray. Karen had gotten upset with Rick's obsessive protection of Popuri. The two were currently taking a break from each other, but I was sure that they would be getting back together soon.

Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for Popuri and Kai. Kai had asked Popuri to run away and get married in the city. Popuri took some time to make up her mind, but eventually said no. Kai swore that it was over between them and that he would never be coming back to Mineral Town. Popuri had been in a very depressed mood ever since.

I had seen the Witch and the Harvest Goddess on quite a few occasions. The two were still knee deep in their competition. The blackboard had become heavily lopsided, with a couple hundred marks on the Harvest Goddess' side. That was compared to the hundred already existing marks that the Witch claimed. The only recent major marks that the Witch had added were the incidents involving Kai and Popuri, and the other problem with Rick and Karen.

Elli had quit her job with Pastor Carter and went back to the Clinic. She had been missing the medical life that she was used to. Plus, her extra help gave Evan the much needed breaks that he had been missing due to emergencies. You see, during the police versus bandits war, it wasn't uncommon for there to be a need for medical services.

Well, that about recaps the Fall season and the first half of Winter. So, there I was, waiting to no end. I was so nervous; I was jumping at the slightest noise. Somebody would walk out of the operating room and I would bother them with an endless supply of questions. Unfortunately, not one would supply any news about any changes.

One hour passed, and still no changes. A crowd had apparently gathered outside and awaited the news just as nervous as I was. A second hour went by, with no result. Hour three passed. Same for hours four and five. The day was still young, though, with the clock just striking noon.

"So, what are you going to name the boy?" Neil asked.

"How do you know that the baby is going to be a boy?" I asked Neil. I knew that Mineral Town had no form of ultrasound, so it was impossible to know if the baby was a boy or a girl.

Neil shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know. It's just that in every Harvest Moon game, the child is always a boy."

It made sense. Plus, you could take a look at our family tree. My father was an only child. He had two children, both turning out to be males. My mother's family wasn't much better. She had been the only female child born in six generations. Genetics were definitely in favor of carrying on my family name.

Stu had gotten restless from the six hours of waiting. Neil was doing everything in his power to keep the young energy source from bouncing off the walls. It didn't become any easier as hours seven and eight went by. By this time, Stu had succeeded in driving us insane. Never mind the fact that we were probably half-way there before he had even started.

It didn't take much convincing to get Neil to take Stu back to the farm. The two were gone for another two hours before they returned. Stu was completely worn out; using every ounce of energy he had left to stay on his feet.

Twelve hours of waiting had taken a toll on me as well. I no longer had any nails left to chew on. Stu had fallen asleep on top of the sleeping Neil. I couldn't blame them. The clock on the wall was slowly ticking away, teasing us with an ever slowing passing of time. It was now seven o' clock.

I'm sure that Elli was going through one hell of a rough time. She had told me that, as a nurse, she had once spent nearly two full days helping Tim deliver the child of a visiting tourist. At the time, I cringed when she mentioned that name. Just the sound of his name brought back memories of that night. The sound of the gun firing. Me without any knowledge for those few fleeting seconds about what had happened. I was afraid that I had lost Elli, just like I had lost Mage during that fateful summer. Luckily, that night turned out alright.

Hour number thirteen came and went. A couple of people had stopped by to check if the baby had come yet. "No." I told every person. Each and every one of them promised that they would be back first thing in the morning. It was, after all, now eight o' clock.

The scene didn't get any better when Jessica was dismissed from her duties. It had gotten too late for her. Evan sent word that no problems had arisen, but no progress had been made. I thanked the girl and watched as she climber the staircase up to the second floor. I was getting really, really bored.

At hour number fourteen, I was blessed with a special visit from the Harvest Goddess. Or maybe it was just a little dream or an image of my imagination from being tired. Anyway, the Harvest Goddess calmly came walking into the Clinic and sat down beside me. "Came to offer another mind clearing insight?" I asked as she crossed her legs, smiling at some unknown plot that she was scheming up.

"It would have been a lot easier if you had just worked all day and showed up at this time." She stated matter-of-factly.

"Tell me about it. I never knew that this entire birthing thing took so long." I yawned slightly. Maybe I could take a little nap…

The Harvest Goddess gave me a rude push, waking me up fully. "I think you've waited long enough. I've been postponing the entire thing while I set some traps for my sister. I always like to be present for the miracle of life."

I shook my head. "How many traps did you set?" I figured that the best way to communicate with the Harvest Goddess was not to attempt any sign of seriousness. She had a very weird way with people.

"Only one. Wait for it." The Goddess held up a finger to silence me. I listened intently for whatever it was that she had planned. Sure enough, a set of amplified footsteps approached the door to the clinic. A surprised scream filled the air, followed by the sound of something heavy falling from the roof. I could only imagine what it was that the Harvest Goddess had done.

"If you will excuse me, I must go see how well my trap worked." The Harvest Goddess got up from her seat and headed out the door. This event was not too far out of the ordinary. The Witch and Harvest Goddess had been focusing their efforts on each other lately.

"Hey Tint, wake up!" A voice called out to me. Sure enough, I had fallen asleep. These dreams were getting more and more messed up. I sat up and looked straight into the face of Doctor Evan. "You can go in now."

"You mean…" I started. Evan nodded his head. Only now did I hear the ever so unmistakable sound of a baby crying.

"You're going to be pleasantly surprised." Evan said as he ushered me towards the operating room. I looked at him, confused at what he meant by that. What could it be that was going to surprise me?

I swallowed nervously, stopping before the curtain. I looked over at the clock on the wall. Twenty hours had passed, as the clock now claimed the time to be three o' clock in the morning. I reached out for the curtain, but pulled my hand back. I was too nervous.

"You're making this entire thing too dramatic." I told myself. I had to go in there sooner or later. I might as well get it over with. I grabbed hold of the curtain and quickly ducked inside. I was stunned at the sight that I saw.

Elli was sitting upright in her bed. She was smiling brightly as she looked at the two gorgeous babies that she had cradled in her arms. "Twins." I exclaimed.

The young mother looked up into my eyes. Her smile brightened even more when she saw me. "A boy and a girl." She stated, very proud. Take that, genetics!

I walked up beside her and placed an arm around her shoulders. With my other hand, I ran my fingers through the small tuff of hair that topped the head of the baby in the pink blanket. The baby boy looked at me with his big beady brown eyes. The two of them had their mother's eyes. "What should we name them?" I asked.

"I was thinking of naming the boy Jack." Elli said as she placed a gentle kiss on the forehead of the boy.

I nodded my head in agreement. "After all, Jack did name his child after me. It's only appropriate that I do the same."

Elli's smile grew even brighter. "Do you like that name, little Jack?" She asked the boy. The baby reached up and gave what equaled a thumbs up sign. "I think he likes it." I commented.

"What about the girl?" Elli inquired.

There was a name that I had been considering. I didn't know if Elli would really like the name. But, I had to ask. "Elli, there is a name that I thought of, but I don't know."

"I know what you want to call her. Go ahead. I don't mind." Elli placed the baby girl into my arms.

The little girl looked up at me expectantly. I stared back into the brown eyes that reflected her peaceful nature. "A beautiful girl deserves a beautiful name. You're going to be living a wonderful life, Mage."

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_A/N: There you go. Hopefully, nobody is upset that I skipped ahead through so much. I'm running a little short on ideas for this story. I may have to end this story in the near future. Don't be too upset when I do reach the end._


	20. The Spring of Epona

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 20: The Spring of Epona**

_A/N: Not to worry! I might have scared some people when I said I might end this fic. I was seriously considering making this the final chapter, but I came to feel that would be cheating my readers out of so many more chapters of entertainment. Since most of the important events have already transpired the remainder of the story will not take as long as that first bit. I will be lowering the number of chapters per season down to two or three. On the bright side, I will most likely be writing longer chapters with more events. So, in the end, you'll still be getting the same amount of great entertainment. Enjoy, my good people!_

_P.S. As to a question, I have never played the Zelda games for GBC. I never actually had a GBC, going straight from the original to the GBASP. Not too sure about GBDS, though. There are way too many GB's…_

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**Two **weeks had passed since I became a father. The two bundles of joy were snuggled comfortably away in their cribs. I felt so incredibly proud as I watched the sleeping babes. To think that I came to Mineral Town only a year ago. At the time, I was only a confused teenager, reeling from the loss of my best friend and only true love (at the time). Now, my farm included my brother, my beautiful wife, two wonderful children, an energetic brother-in-law, ten chickens, four cows, two sheep, a fully grown dog, and a young horse that was on the verge of becoming an adult.

The early morning sun beamed through the window. Outside, spring was just beginning to show itself after a cold winter. Today marked the second day of spring. I couldn't remember the first day of spring. Or the last day of winter. Stupid New Year's drinking celebrations.

Quite a lot had occurred in the second half of the winter season. Winter marked a season of changes for the people of Mineral Town. Little Jack and Mage were only the start of what had become a very memorable holidays.

The two couple who were engaged held a dual wedding on Christmas Day. The trend that Elli and I had started continued on with the joining of Mary and Gray as well as Cliff and Ann. The two happy couples were currently out of the country on their honeymoons. They weren't expected to be back until the tail end of spring.

Karen was finally able to forgive Rick for whatever the "incident" was that happened between the two of them. That same day, Rick proposed to Karen and she accepted. I learned later that day, during a drinking contest, the cause of their separation. I was surprised that I actually remembered something from one of those nights.

It turns out that Karen and Rick had the same incident that had occurred between myself and Elli. Karen forgave Rick only after she learned that she wasn't pregnant. Her night of drinking was a celebration of the good news.

Neil was still managing to handle his two girlfriends. I personally couldn't wait until they found out about each other. But, knowing my brother, he was going to see my premarital physical relationship which resulted in Elli's pregnancy and double that result with two pregnant girlfriends in a couple of years. I'm sure that somewhere in town people were taking bets on this event. Neil's secret love triangle was very public knowledge to everyone in both villages.

About the twentieth of the season, Neil and I went on a mining expedition. We had purchased a completely new set of tools from Siabara for Neil to use. We spent the entire day in the new mine that was in the middle of the lake. We ended up making enough money from the trip to upgrade every single tool that we owned up to the highest level. There was even enough money left over for Siabara to make a necklace for Elli.

For the people who can't count, I bought two cows and two sheep as celebration of the births of my children. I was leaving their names for the first words that left the mouths of the babies. For the moment, the animals were known as cow1, cow2, sheep1, and sheep2. I lost my creative touch from the blizzard that struck Mineral Town on the twenty-seventh of winter.

During the duration of the blizzard, the entire family had gathered inside of the main house. For two nights the snow plummeted and the wind howled. After the storm had subsided, Neil and I had searched the farm for damage. The animals had somehow been fed during the storm. There was a little note attached to the door to the chicken coop.

The note was from the Harvest Goddess. She had some free time during the storm and decided to help me out by doing some random good deeds. Apparently the trap that she had set for her sister had caused some serious damage. Imagine a combination of the paint can trap from Home Alone mixed with the Ewok's method of imploding an AT-ST's cockpit. In non nerd speech, this adds up to three heavy objects hitting something in the head at simultaneous moments from three different directions. I shuddered at the mental image that I created.

The most surprising event of the second half of winter ended up being the Christmas gift that Neil and I received from our father. There was a short letter saying that this was going to be the first holidays that he spent without either of us at home. Included with the letter was a check for ten thousand gold pieces. Needless to say, we were surprised by the generosity of our estranged father.

Neil and I had made plans for the course of today, since this was the first day of the season for new crops. Neil would be going over to the Supermarket and purchasing enough seeds for the entire field. Meanwhile, I would be taking care of the animals. By the time Neil got back the two of us, plus Stu, would plant the seeds.

Elli was still asleep. I couldn't blame her. Last night had been the first time the babies hadn't woke us up. I leaned over her sleeping form and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. A smile appeared on her face but she stayed asleep. I admired her beauty for a few seconds before heading down the stairs and out to the chicken coop.

The white feathered birds were happy to receive their daily refill of food. I then went around the coop, collecting the eggs. Five of the eggs were placed in the shipping bin. I was finished in here.

On the way past the house, I ducked inside, placing one of the eggs in the fridge. I deposited the remainder of the eggs over at Neil's house. Neil was already up and was making breakfast for himself and Stu. The two of them always had big breakfasts, mostly because they competed to see had the bigger stomach. "Remember to get the seeds today." I reminded Neil as I placed the eggs beside the waiting frying pan.

Neil stated off the list. "I won't. Equal amounts of every king of spring seeds. Plus, four bags of pineapple seeds for the hothouse. I can't believe we didn't think of putting pineapples in there before."

During the blizzard we had come up with the brainstorm idea of planting pineapples in the hothouse. They cost a lot and took a long time to grow, but they were well worth the wait because of the profit. But after one batch grew, pineapples grew again within a few days. Usually, there was only one or two harvests per season, but with the hothouse we would have huge profits coming in seven or eight times a season.

I said good morning to Stu as he came trudging out of his bedroom. The youth grunted a reply in return and collapsed at the table. Just like me and Neil when we were his age. We were being great role models for the young boy.

Homer trotted along with me as I entered the barn. I went about milking the cows and shearing the sheep. All of the products were added to the shipping bin. I then went to the feed spout at the back of the barn and collected six bundles of feed. The animals were a little pushy to get to the first feed box as I placed the food. I repeated this process for the other five animals.

My last stop was going to be the stable. Epona had been eagerly waiting for spring to arrive. She was quite disappointed when it rained yesterday. Stu had been taking care of her during the winter and I hadn't seen her in a week or so. You could imagine the surprise when I entered the stable and found a fully grown horse inside.

Epona pushed past me and out into the field. She looked incredibly majestic as she galloped through the dirt. Homer was hot on her heels, playfully chasing after the horse. "She is a fine animal." Someone commented from the farm's entrance.

I looked over and spotted Barley making his way towards me. I waved at the old man as I whistled for Epona. Epona immediately responded, turning to head towards me. "You're right. She is such an incredible beast. What was it that you came here for?" I asked once Epona came to a stop beside me.

Barley seemed to be having difficulty forming his response. I happily brushed away at Epona's coat, waiting for whatever it was that Barley had to say. I didn't have to wait much longer as Barley cleared his throat. "I've come to take Epona back."

I paused my brushing, thinking that I had misheard the old man. "Pardon?"

"I've come to take Epona back. I'm sure that I told you that you were only raising her, that she wasn't yours for keeps." Barley had gained some courage since his last statement.

"I don't think that is going to happen." I stated calmly as I put away my brush. I had grown attached to Epona and I wasn't about to give her up so easily. Without a word, I directed Epona in the direction of her stable.

Barley was determined to have his way, but he did appear to be attempting to find a reasonable compromise. "Tell you what. The local horse race is coming up on the fourteenth. If you enter Epona into the race as my horse and you win… I'll give the horse to you. Sound fair?"

I thought over the proposition for a few seconds. It sounded fair enough. I had witnessed the horse races last year and had thought that all of the horses had seemed so very slow. "I'll do it." I said as I extended my hand.

Barley clasped my hand and eagerly shook it. "See you at the races."

**The **Goddess Festival was completely different this year. I remembered that day the previous year. Stu pulling the late Elli towards the square and thrusting her among the other dancers. I remembered that it was this day that had caused me to fall for her. Truly, a very emotional day.

This year brought a whole lot of changes. Since both Mary and Ann were gone on their honeymoons, there were only three dancers. To make matters worse, Popuri was refusing to take part in the festival. She was still depressed about her argument with Kai.

Luckily, Jessica stepped forward and offered to take part in the festival. She had absolutely no knowledge about the dance or anything. Karen and Elli spent a lot of time teaching the young girl about the dance. By the day of the festival, Jessica was in top form.

We were all surprised when Jessica's mother presented her with a dress for the festival. "The village where I grew up in had a similar festival." She explained as she passed her own dress onto her daughter.

Everyone was gathered in the square. The festival was going to be starting very soon. "Have fun." I said to Elli, offering her a quick kiss before she ran off to join Karen and Jessica.

There was something new about Elli. I hadn't recognized the change throughout the year, but now it stood out clearly. She looked a lot more mature and grown up since I had watched her the year before. She still had that beauty and elegance that I had fallen in love with, but now there was also a hardened look that showed the trouble that she had gone through.

The music was just beginning to start when a voice called out from one of the entrances of the square, "Wait!"

Everyone turned to look at the new arrival. There was Popuri, dressed in her goddess dress, carefully making her way through the crowd. She joined the other three girls and nodded for the music to start.

The dance went along perfectly. Popuri managed to pull off the dance without having a single practice beforehand. Even Jessica did a wonderful job. After the music came to a stop, the girls received a much deserved round of applause and cheers.

Elli came up to me and pulled me into a warm embrace. "Let's go somewhere." She suggested.

I didn't bother trying to argue. The two of us went up the path and up Mother's Hill. The sun cast a gorgeous shimmer across the hilltop. Elli decided to stop at the side of the lake. She motioned for me to sit down beside her and I obeyed. "You look beautiful." I commented.

Elli blushed slightly because of my comment. "Is it the dress or do I always look beautiful?"

"The dress wouldn't look beautiful unless a beautiful person wore it." I took hold of her hand and smiled.

Once again Elli blushed. "You're so sweet. This reminds me of when my father took the family here after the goddess festival. My mother was the best dancer that this village ever had." Elli was looking longingly over the water. I think I even spotted a tear forming in the corners of her eyes.

"When do I get to meet your parents? I've never heard you mention them and they weren't at the wedding. Surely they can't be as bad as my parents are." I knew that I had said something wrong when Elli broke into tears. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." I embraced her, holding her close against my chest.

Elli sobbed for a few minutes, trying to control the tears. When she finally managed to gain some control she spoke, "It's not your fault. I should have told you before. My parents… are dead. They were killed in an accident shortly after Stu was born."

I couldn't think of anything to say. Personally, I would be happy if my mother was dead, but Elli loved her parents. I decided that the best thing to do was hold on to her, showing my support. The sobbing stopped. Elli had fallen asleep in my arms. I carefully lifted her up off the ground and carried her home. Today, I learned that I wasn't the only one who had dealt with the pain of losing someone dear to them.

**The **day of the local horse race came faster then I had expected. I had dealt with the farm work half-heartedly, knowing that this important day was approaching. Every single day, I spent hour and hour riding Epona, pushing her to go faster. Nobody else knew about the stakes that were riding on this race.

As luck would have it, the weather decided to make today more troublesome. The rain fell like a waterfall. It didn't matter. I wasn't going to let some water get in the way of my victory.

"Tint, you don't have to race today. I doubt that anyone else will even show up." Elli tried persuading me.

I shrugged off her words. "Sorry. Epona needs me to race." With that I left the house.

Neil was waiting for me in the stable. He had Epona prepped for the race. "I'll feed the animals before bringing the family to watch the races." Neil told me as I mounted Epona. I nodded in response, motioning for him to move aside to let me ride off.

The rain didn't seem to bother Epona. She proudly trotted through the mud and over to the village square. Barley and Thomas were already there, talking to two other riders with their horses. The track had been set up the night before.

I recognized one of the other racers as Jack. He waved for me to join him with the others. "Glad you could join us Tint." Thomas stated as he wiped some water from his eyes.

Jack nodded his head in agreement. "It wouldn't be much fun with only two racers."

"So this is everyone?" I asked, looking over the other rider. He had long black hair and a sharp pointed nose. Quite a few scars ran across his face giving him a sinister appearance.

"Yup. Nobody else could make it in this weather." Barley explained. "We'll have to run the race with only three entrants. I might as well explain the rules beforehand. Wait for the gunshot, then go. First to reach the end wins. Simple."

Villagers were beginning to arrive in the square. They seemed dismayed about the weather and became slightly upset when they saw only three horses. Thomas and Barley went through the crowd explaining the circumstances of the race and taking bets. According to the odds, I was the favorite to win, but the evil guy was a close second. Jack was nearly a hundred to one underdog.

I waved to my family as they came into the square. The lot of them waved heartily as they claimed a spot to watch the race. "A shame that your family came here to watch you lose." The new guy stated in a raspy voice.

I faced the newcomer, staring him down. "I have too much riding on this race to lose." I stated calmly, guiding Epona to the start gate. My heart was pounding as I set myself into my start position. I leaned over Epona's neck, whispering in her ear, "Come on girl, show me what you've got."

The new guy took his spot to my right. On the other side of the dark haired rider was Jack. All three of us focused of the end of the track as Barley began the introductions. "In lane one, we have Jack and Speedy from Forget-Me-Not Valley. Lane two is Tom and his horse, Shadow Rush. He is the brother of the late Doctor Tim from this very village. And in lane number three is Tint and Epona from right here in Mineral Town!"

The crowd cheered excitedly, but I suddenly became a whole lot more nervous. Was this Tom guy actually related to Tim? If so, he might be here to get revenge for his brother's death. Elli and some of the other villagers appeared to be having the same thought as me. That was when I noticed her.

Standing among the trees behind the square was the Witch. She had an evil grin, barely visible through the bandages that covered her head. I looked desperately around the square, hoping to see the Harvest Goddess somewhere. My protector was nowhere to be seen.

I gulped nervously as Barley came over the megaphone. "Let's have a good race, gentlemen. On your marks!"

"Just focus on wining." I told myself and Epona.

"Get set!" I hunched even lower against Epona, preparing to surge forward.

A gun fired into the air from somewhere nearby. The gates immediately swung open in response to the starting gunshot. The race was on. All three horses burst forwards, churning up the mud underneath them.

Everything seemed to be going on in slow motion. Time had practically stopped for me. The three horses were neck and neck for the first ten or so steps. At this point, Jack began to slip a little bit behind myself and Tom. Another dozen paces and I realized that Tom and Shadow Rush were slowly beginning to pull ahead. The race was only a quarter done.

"Come on! A little faster, Epona!" I yelled out, urging her ahead. My calls seemed to have a reverse effect. Instead of gaining ground on the dark horse ahead, we seemed to fall further behind. The half way marker passed briefly at trackside.

Epona took notice of the black horse up ahead. Just the sight of the other horse seemed to spur Epona to go faster. The distance between the two riders steadily decreased. The three quarters marker passed by as the two horses matched each other, stride for stride.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye that something was happening with Tom. I risked a glance over, only to see that his horse was edging closer to Epona's side. Suddenly Tom produced a club in his hand and lashed out with a low swing aimed at Epona's legs. I watched in horror as the stick connected with her front right leg.

Tom smiled as he watched Epona's legs buckled beneath her. I felt myself coming out of the saddle and through the air. The crowd gasped in surprise, but soon their emotions turned to anger and worry. I landed roughly into the mud and skidded to a stop. I managed to lift my head in time to see Tom cross the finish line, his arms raised triumphantly.

I carefully picked myself up out of the mud and looked back at Epona. Even with her obviously broken leg, the brave horse was trying desperately to get back on her feet. Jack had pulled to a stop and had dismounted. He was trying to stop Epona from causing herself any more pain.

The crowd had come onto the track and were surrounding Epona. Most of the people were looking away, not able to witness the hopeless struggle. I could feel tears in my eyes and my blood beginning to boil. I took another look at the finishing line. Only Tom was at that end, celebrating his undeserved victory.

I began to make my way towards the man. A few people checked on me to see if I was alright, but I shrugged them off. My eyes were locked on Tom. He was going to pay for what he did to Epona.

The black haired racer awaited my arrival with a smug look on his face. "Consider it revenge for Tim!" He called out to me. Then the coward climbed back onto his horse and headed towards me. I was between him and safety.

I reached out at him as he rode past. I felt my hand grab hold of his arm and tugged. The horse continued, without its rider, back along the track. I hauled Tom to his feet only to strike him back down with a punch. I was about to deliver a second attack when I felt someone stop me. I looked over my shoulder into Neil's tear filled eyes. "Don't do it." He said.

I considered what he had said. True enough, Tom deserved what I wanted to give him. "Consider it revenge for Epona." I stated as I turned my back on him. A few seconds later, Tom let out a loud groan. I turned back to see Neil pull his foot away from Tom's stomach. Soon enough, the rest of the town had joined in on the beating. Mineral Town was really one strong family when you looked carefully.

I thought back to that day shortly after I had come to Mineral Town. Barley and May had brought Epona over as a late welcoming gift. Epona was full of fighting spirit, just as she was showing now. She had shrugged off the people who were holding her down and climbed to her three remaining good legs. Her determination was bringing the crowd to tears as she hobbled her way towards the finishing line.

I walked up beside Epona, taking hold of her reins. "You did good today," I whispered into her ear. Epona snorted in agreement, letting me lead her to her goal. The crowd gave a half hearted cheer as the two of us crossed the finishing line. Epona had done enough and had collapsed onto her side. The pain was obviously unbearable for her.

"Her racing days are over." Barley commented as he approached, "I'm sorry for putting you through this. I should have let you keep her instead of forcing you into this race."

"Don't blame yourself. I was going to enter her in the races today no matter what. If you want to blame somebody, blame him." I pointed along the track to where Officer Harris was "helping" Tom into a pair of handcuffs.

"We might have to put her down." Jack stated as he carefully examined the broken leg.

"Hell no! There is no way that anyone is killing Epona! She's still a good horse. Just give her some pain killers and put her leg in a cast! Anything but killing her." I was practically begging as I knelt beside Epona.

Elli handed the children off to Neil and Stu before kneeling beside me. She put her arms around me and buried her face into my shoulder. "I love Epona as much as you do. I don't want to let her go, but it's for her own good. Just look at the pain that she's in."

I looked over at Epona. Her breathing had grown unstable, but her eyes held a look that showed her understanding. This was the hardest decision I had ever had to make. "Ok." I finally stated.

The crowd began to disperse. Nobody wanted to witness the sight any longer. "You sure?" Somebody asked, producing a gun. I merely nodded my head as I turned away. Today was one of the worst days that I had had in Mineral Town. It only became worse as a gunshot echoed through the square.

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_A/N: I am so sorry that I did that. It was really hard for me to put it into writing. It probably wasn't the right thing to do, but I thought that the story needed a proper emotional twist. But, that doesn't mean that I enjoyed doing it. That was the second hardest part of this story to write. The first occurred at the end of the first chapter and you can guess why that upset me. Now, go read something cheerful._


	21. The Harvest Goddess and Witch Fight

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 21: The Goddess and Witch Fight!**

_A/N: It's been a long time since I told anyone about how well Mage is doing. Monday we were scheduled to move into our first home together. Our parents and friends chipped in to pay for rent until we are done school. Unfortunately, these plans got scrapped yesterday. Mage had to go back to the hospital because it hurt when she moved her one leg. Apparently, the cancer in that part of her body decided to wreck her leg. Now, she's stuck on crutches and can't climb the stairs in our house. So, that cancels that plan. A second curse of the cancer is that she lost her hair earlier in the week. To top everything off, we both lost grandparents to cancer on Monday and Thursday. I'm considering it payback for killing off Epona, so that is why I am clearing up that incident. I've already included your prayers and well wishes with what I've been doing, so I've got you guys covered._

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**"How **did you miss?" I heard someone ask in disbelief. The trail ends of the gunshot's echo still vibrated through the town square. I had my back to the incident and had no idea what happened. I looked up to Neil to see a complete look of surprise across his face.

"I don't know! I aimed right at her head so that it would be quick and relatively painless; but the bullet curved wildly!" The owner of the gun replied.

I had to take a look to see what had happened. Elli had covered the eyes and ears of the children, trying to keep the little ones from being corrupted by death at such a tender young age. Slowly I turned my head to look at the still suffering Epona. Sure enough, she was still breathing. Near her head was a smoking bullet embedded into the cobblestone.

"Maybe it's a sign from somewhere higher up." Pastor Carter suggested. The others looked at him in mock disbelief. But, then again, what could explain it?

It was then that I realized what had happened. I looked over towards where I had seen the Witch before the race. Sure enough, she was still there. She had ripped away the bandages from her face and was thrashing them about in a crazed manner. Suddenly she stopped, a look of horror crossing her face as she caught a glimpse of something behind me.

I looked back over my shoulder to see what it was that had the Witch so frightened. The other villagers had all stopped what they were doing and were looking in the same direction. A bright white light enshrouded the person as she entered the square. The Harvest Goddess was making a rare public appearance.

The Goddess looked directly at me, shaking her head. "You should have known better. I've been protecting you from all of my sister's antics and what do you try doing? You gave up and almost let her succeed in murdering something dear to you. Did you not think that my protection included your family and farm animals? I could easily heal a broken leg, but not a life snapped short."

The villagers quickly backed away from Epona as the Harvest Goddess knelt beside the horse. Epona had been putting up a struggle as soon as she had heard the gun fire. Now, the Goddess place a reassuring hand on Epona's forehead, instantly calming the beast.

"Not so fast, sister!" A voice called from the opposite side of the square. I looked over to see the Witch making her way through the crowd. The two were on the verge of a public confrontation of epic proportions.

The crowd had backed away a fair distance from the two supernatural beings. The Harvest Goddess took one look at her sister and shook her head. "I knew that you were behind this. I've had enough of you. I will ask you kindly. Get out of my village!" With this threat, the Goddess got up to her feet, passing a hand over Epona's leg as she did so. Nearly instantaneously, Epona climbed to her feet. I quickly stepped in and led Epona to the bewildered villagers.

The Witch was fuming. Healing Epona had probably added another mark to the dreaded chalkboard. Sure enough, the mere thought of the tally board seemed to spark a debate. A puff of smoke appeared between the two divinities, clearing to reveal the chalkboard of fate. A piece of chalk floated in the air, marking another score for the Goddess. The board had barely an empty space visible among the sea of white scratches.

The Witch and Goddess leaned in and began counting up their own tallies. It would have been an amusing scene to witness if the circumstances had been different. As it was, I was certain that this was going to be the final count. The victor would certainly banish the loser from the village. The Witch had finished her count and stated, triumphantly, "Seven hundred twenty-one thousand eight hundred and fifty marks. I believe that makes this town mine."

A gasp escaped the crowd. I guess that they had figured that the Witch was an evil version of the Harvest Goddess who they had been praying to their entire lives. You could imagine their surprise when the Harvest Goddess began chuckling. "What's so funny?" The Witch demanded.

"I've got seven hundred twenty-one thousand eight hundred and fifty marks as well." The Goddess stated. I didn't want to know what other deeds that they had been doing that had gotten the score up so high. They probably sat in the forest, killing and resurrecting flowers in endless cycles of a battle of wits. Poor flowers.

"So, it's a tie. Next one to get a mark wins. Now, who should I kill?" The Witch pondered as she overlooked the crowd. Her wandering eyes stopped first on Barley, then on Doug, then Thomas, Jack, little Jack, and Stu. She finally stopped, a smirk crossing her black lips as she stopped at me. "The source of my troubles. You're going to be the first to die in my rein of terror."

I looked around nervously. The Harvest Goddess had gone around the crowd handing out candy. She was completely oblivious to the black magical sphere that the Witch had created and was now aiming at me. I think that she belonged in that mental asylum that my mother had tried placing me in. I noticed that someone had broken away from the crowd and was approaching the Witch.

Elli had handed the children off to the two other family members and was making her way up to the Witch. She placed one hand on the unsuspecting shoulder of the red headed deity. The Witch turned her head to see who was interrupting her, only to receive one of the meanest slaps that I've ever seen. "You're the one who's been causing all of these problems. Everything! Tint's mother, his shoulder injury, even Tim. Nobody messes with my family and gets away with it!"

The Witch held one hand up to her cheek, trying to stop the sting. In her other hand she still clutched the black sphere. With one swift movement, the Witch launched the death ball at the unprotected Elli.

Everything seemed to turn to slow motion. Elli looked down into the black mass that embodied her incoming demise. She then looked over at me, mouthing the words, "I love you." I was sure that this was going to be the end.

A lightning fast dart of white light caught the black sphere mere fractions of any unit of measurement away from Elli's stomach. The two opposing forces waged their own tiny battle as the sphere was knocked harmlessly aside. "What the…" The Witch exclaimed as she watched her magic be overpowered.

The Harvest Goddess stood beside the blackboard, her one finger glowing white as it pointed at the Witch. "I saved Elli. That counts as a point." The Harvest Goddess exclaimed as she picked up the piece of chalk.

"NO!!!" The Witch screamed as the Harvest Goddess placed the chalk against the board, purposefully sliding the white solid down across her side.

"I've won. Now, this will be the last time I tell you this before I have to carry out this order in a physical manner. Leave my village and never come back." The Goddess demanded.

"You have no proof of the score." The Witch lied.

The Harvest Goddess merely pointed at the chalkboard. The Witch shrugged her shoulders carelessly. Then, in a surprising move, the Witch launched another black sphere, this one completely destroying the chalkboard. "I see your point." The Harvest Goddess commented sarcastically.

The crowd was still watching in awe at the mere sight of the two guardian forces of Mineral Town. I had joined them, pulling Elli with me. "I have a feeling that this is going to become very violent soon." I told the crowd as the Goddess and Witch eyed each other.

"I agree with you. I think that everyone should go find a safe place until this thing comes to a conclusion." Thomas suggested. The crowd readily agreed, with a vast majority of them silently making their way towards the Inn. The only ones who were left in the square were myself, Neil, Jack, Rick, and Thomas. "Good luck boys. Don't interfere unless the Goddess is losing." The mayor told us as he ran off to join the others.

The four of us looked at each other in understanding. We were going to be the last line between Mineral Town and the evil Witch. "Why are you still here?" Jack asked Rick, obviously thinking that the poultry raiser wouldn't be of much use.

"I've got family that I've got to protect. Tint's been getting all the glory, so I figured that I could take a small chunk of it this time. What about you?" Rick honestly replied.

Jack scratched the stubble of a beard that he was growing. "We don't get this quality of entertainment back in Forget-Me-Not Valley." His confession caused us all to laugh.

Meanwhile, the Witch and Goddess continued their stare down match. One of them had taken the race track and tossed it aside. The rain was still pouring, forming an unrelenting torrent of pressure. Large puddles of water and mud dotted the square, turning the normally tranquil setting into a battlefield awaiting the combatants.

The Witch made the first move, launching a black sphere that was easily knocked out of the air by a light dart. After a few more of the ineffective black spheres were incapacitated, the Witch charged in for a physical attack. Her rash decision caught the Harvest Goddess by surprise, allowing her to land two healthy slaps across the face.

The Harvest Goddess stumbled back a few steps. The Witch saw this as an opening and charged in for another round of bare palmed beatings. The good side of the battling duo had been waiting for this. She easily stepped aside, grabbing a huge handful of red hair as the Witch stumbled past. The Witch let out a painful scream as her sister gave a violent tug at the hair.

"I don't know if I should be watching this, but I can't take my eyes away from it. I feel like I owe them money for this. Maybe I could get my girlfriends to reenact this later." Neil was having a philosophical conversation with himself as he watched the two female guardians degrade themselves into a catfight for the control of Mineral Town. Jack had been right; this was some high quality entertainment.

The Witch had managed to knock the Harvest Goddess to the ground. She then placed one foot against the Goddesses' neck, holding her down. The evil supernatural being prepped a new dark sphere of death and aimed it at the Goddess who was pinned amongst the mud. "Say goodbye sister." The Witch ordered as an evil smile crossed her face.

The four of us guys looked at each other. It looked like it was our turn to step in. We spread out and rushed in to the Goddesses' rescue. The Witch looked up in surprise to find herself surrounded. Neil was closest, preparing to put his football skills to full use. The Witch obviously considered him to be the biggest threat, so she launched her magic at my brother.

Neil twisted to one side, just barely evading the death ball. I didn't want to see what one of those things could do to someone. The momentary distraction gave the Harvest Goddess enough free time to push away the Witch's foot. The two divinities launched their spells at each other again only to result in the two negating each other again.

Jack had caught the Witch off-guard, tackling her off her feet and driving her into the ground. Neil joined in on the pile, happy to get the chance to cause some hurting. By the time Rick and I got close enough to do anything, the other two had hauled the Witch up to her feet, presenting her to the Harvest Goddess. The Witch was struggling wildly, but the wind had been knocked out her by one of the two's tackles. She soon gave up on the useless battle to free herself.

The Harvest Goddess stooped to look into the face of her sister. "Once again, I win. Looks like the older sister is still the better." The Goddess commented with a smirk.

"Go ahead and kill me. I don't care." The Witch spat out at the Harvest Goddess.

The green haired protector of Mineral Town shook her head. "I have something much better than that planned. I'm calling Mom and Dad."

The look of horror in the Witch's face was priceless. "No, no, no! Anything but that! Come on, I'm begging you! I'll do anything! I'll do your chores! I'll take the blame for crashing the car! I'll hook you up with that cute gothic guy that you like!"

Neil and I looked at each other in amusement. We had had these kinds of conversations many times before. Bribing a sibling was always the first step in any bargaining plea. But, cute and gothic???  
The Goddess was obviously thinking over the offer. "All of those things plus, I want your poster of Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp." The Goddess suggested.

The Witch fell to her knees, begging. "Not Orlando and Johnny!"

The Harvest Goddess shook her head, producing a cell phone. "Too bad. Look's like Mom and Dad are going to hear about this." The Goddess began dialing a number.

"Alright! Take it! You win." The Witch admitted, clearly accepting defeat.

"Much better." The good half of the sister duo announced, closing her phone. The Goddess approached the Witch and took hold of her arms. "Thanks for your help, guys." She commented as the two females vanished from the square.

The four of us looked at each other. We all seemed to have the same question on our minds. "She's into gothic guys?" I asked, not believing what I had heard.

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_A/N: There we go! Much better. I fixed my mistake and I made what appeared to be a serious fight turn into nothing more than a sisterly battle for possession of things. I must state at this time that I do not own the actors Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. Putting them in was Mage's idea, so that could technically make this chapter a joint piece of work. That does it. I hope I cheered you guys up after that depressing author's note at the start. Thanks for reading and keep us in your prayers. This is Tint and Mage signing out on Chapter 21 of Gamer to Farmer._


	22. Oddballs

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 22: Oddballs**

_A/N: I have so lost track of the days. That is what happens when you are on semester break and your friends decide to hold a wake-a-thon. We had the liberal cause of donating every cent that we made to the fight against cancer. In total we raised almost 7000. We only ran the event for 48 hours but we all decided to see who could set the record. Plus, it was our friends' way of showing their support. Thanks to everyone for all the info about the new games. I don't have any computer classes this semester, so I don't have any good internet access. I'm stuck with country dial-up._

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The Spring of my second year in Mineral Town was drawing to a close. Ever since that eventful day at the horse races, things around town had become rather boring. Neither the Witch or the Harvest Goddess had been seen since their public appearance. Today was day number fifteen since their fight had ended in a victory for the Harvest Goddess.

There had been two significant events that had occurred since that day. The first had to deal with Epona. Ever since the Harvest Goddess had healed her leg, Epona has been afraid to take a single step outside her stable. The outside world had proven to be a cruel place and she didn't want to be part of it.

Barley had given me some advice after returning the horse to me. He told me to never take her outside on a rainy day again. The emotional trauma on her would be too much to bear. The rancher also told me to take gradual steps in returning her to racing form. I was sure that Epona couldn't wait for next year's races so she could claim a title for herself. She had the same fighting spirit that I had developed in these recent seasons.

The second major change wasn't as important. In fact, it is practically not even worth telling except for the humor behind it. The four guys who had helped the Harvest Goddess defeat her sister all remembered the little tidbit of information that we had learned about her. It had turned into a private joke between us. But, Neil had taken it too far one day.

Stu had come running up to our house in a panic. It was really early in the morning and he seemed to be in a panic. "A demon got Neil!" He exclaimed. I had laughed at his suggestion, telling him that it was only a bad dream, but the youngster persisted. It was my duty to at least check on what had Stu so upset. I ended up bursting out in a fit of laughter when I saw what had scared my brother-in-law.

"The demon didn't get Neil. Neil just turned into an idiotic demon." I explained to Stu as I overlooked my brother. He had died his hair to a jet black that matched the lipstick, nail polish, shirt, pants, boots, and fresh tattoos that looked like they were personal works of art. I had never before seen a man, or woman for that matter, with so much jewelry. "What is wrong with you?" I asked, shaking my head in disbelief. Stu clung to my leg, hiding out of the reach of the scary person.

"I turned Goth." Neil stated in a carefree manner.

"Thanks for stating the obvious. But why?" My sarcastic comment seemed to have no effect on the darkened football player. Why did I have the feeling that I was going to have nightmares about this when I got back to sleep?

Neil's face was colored slightly with a brief blush, lasting only momentarily. "The Harvest Goddess implied that she liked Goth guys, so…"

Needless to say, both Lumina and Jessica dumped Neil that very same day, after the sun came out and showed how hideous he looked in good light. He had tried to make the "I'm melting" joke when he walked out into the light, but nobody laughed. At least, not at his joke. Elli burst out into an uncontrollable fit of giggles that lasted for a good twenty minutes.

During the following week, Neil spent every waking hour, day and dusk, sitting at the pond side, waiting for the Harvest Goddess. My crazed brother never ran into the Goddess, but did get to meet her new boyfriend. He turned out to be a very angry and possessive person who took offence to Neil's blatant stupidity. Neil's boxing record increased the loss tally by one that day.

The current day was sure to bring back some of the entertainment that had become lost. Kai was scheduled to return from his return home. I hope he brings some more of that Canadian beer.

Popuri was still in her non-characteristic depression. She had turned to her best friend, Elli, for help. That meant that every day I had to deal with overhearing part of her sobbing story about how Kai did this and Kai did that. Personally, I couldn't really care about it any more. I had felt attraction for Popuri in the early part of my stay, but lately she had revealed how childish she could be. I was glad that I had found Elli and hadn't gotten stuck with the pink haired fountain.

Unfortunately, and quite conveniently I might add, Elli was unavailable to be with Popuri when Kai arrived at the dock. She had to take Mage and Jack to get some booster shots. That left me with the ever so important job of being referee on the sandy beaches.

"I wish Neil hadn't injured himself again." I grumbled as the large cruise ship came pulling into the docks. The night before, Neil had attempted to tattoo a scar along his right arm. Since he was right handed, the task proved difficult, but in the end he was rewarded with his original goal. The only problem was that he had given himself a real scar instead of a tattoo. Now I remembered why he was in the "special" classes.

"What was that?" Popuri asked innocently.

"Nothing." I was quick to reply. I don't know why, but I was turning into a real jerk lately. Probably because, everyone was trying to mess with my life. If only I could settle down and live out the remainder of my life in peace. But, peace was a very rare thing to catch a glimpse of in Mineral Town.

Just as that thought had gone running through my head, a ramp descended from over the railing of the boat. At the top of the ramp appeared Kai. He had obviously changed since his last visit. Kai now sported a goatee and appeared to be quite a bit stronger. Popuri was about to bolt up the ramp to embrace Kai when a woman appeared at his side.

Popuri stopped dead in her tracks as Kai took hold of the woman's hand and the two embraced. The woman appeared to be at least a couple of years younger then her counterpart. I was just as stunned as Popuri, but not at the fact that Kai had found another woman. It was the fact that this woman looked like she was wearing a vampire costume. Why was this town becoming Goth central?

Kai finally took notice of the shocked Popuri as he led his lady down to the dock. "Hello Popuri." Kai turned to his new acquaintance and whispered "She's the one I told you about." In response, the black lipped woman snarled, showing off all twenty-seven lip piercings and the two in her tongue.

I was silently taking a few steps back and away from the gathering. I had done my job and now I could leave. At least, that was my goal before Kai spotted me. "Hey Tint, wassup eh? I took your advice, eh, and went over to Canada. Man, it's cold over there, eh?" At least he had gotten the accent correct.

Luckily, I didn't have to answer Kai. Popuri had stepped in front of Kai and appeared to be demanding an explanation. "What did you tell her about me?"

The woman pulled Popuri away from Kai, making her explanation. "Kai told me all about you. You're just that dirty little whore who broke his heart. Good thing that you did or we never would have met. Kai and I are bonded for life in the pain that we share."

I was still trying to make my escape. This was turning out into a live episode of Jerry Springer. Popuri had grown up momentarily, feeling free to express her opinions in a truly acceptable manner. "What do you know about pain? Kai broke **my **heart when he tore me between him and my family and friends. He wanted to get married, but I wasn't ready. All you know is how to drill holes in your own face, adding to the ugliness that already existed."

My opinion was about to break through, but I decided to let it sit idle. Kai's new girlfriend wasn't the greatest looker, but she might have been before the modifications. But, there was something extremely familiar about her, like I had seen her somewhere before. "What part of Canada did you go to?" I asked Kai.

Kai broke his gaze away from the escalating fight. "I went to your hometown. That's where I met Raven."

The arguing suddenly stopped. Raven turned to me and asked, "You're from Wetaskiwin?" I merely nodded my head, afraid that my guess was correct. If she was the person I was thinking about somebody was going to have a really bad day. "My old boyfriend used to live there before he left me. That's why I turned Goth. He told me that he was going on a family vacation, but he never came back even though his mother did." Raven explained.

Kai and Popuri looked at the two of us as we somehow had found a connection between each other. Inwardly, I was becoming extremely worried. This could cause some real problems in Mineral Town. "What was your boyfriend's name?" I asked, somewhat meekly.

"He was the son of that rich business mogul. His name was Neil." Raven calmly expressed, but a hint of violence filled her voice when she said my brother's name. I had thought correctly. This was indeed my brother's old girlfriend. Little did she know, but Neil was in this very town.

Popuri suddenly brightened at a thought of her own. "Tint, isn't your brother named Neil?"

Raven glared at Popuri for speaking, but quickly returned her gaze to me. So much for keeping Neil safe. "Neil's here. Do you want to meet him, Valerie?" I asked Raven, using her real name.

The use of that name caused Raven to drop her jaw in amazement. It took her a few seconds to regain her composure before she turned to Kai. "We're through, Kai. Neil's the only one I ever cared for." Raven looked back at me and smiled, "Take me to the jerk."

Kai was dumbstruck. His plan to make Popuri jealous had resulted in a horrible end. To my surprise, Kai turned to Popuri, went down on one knee, and presented a blue feather to her. Popuri immediately accepted the feather and leapt into Kai's arms. Now that is one messed up relationship. Raven was shaking her head in disgust, causing a jingling sound as her jewelry clinked together.

Raven and I left the joyful couple on the dock as we headed into town. "Whatever happened to you Tint? The guys lost contact with you during that summer two years ago." So she did remember me.

I winced slightly as I thought back to that life changing summer. I seemed like it had been ages ago, yet in reality, it was only two years ago. Valerie, or Raven, was the younger sister of one of my best friends. When she had gotten to high school, my group of friends had accepted her as one of the group. Secretly, she had been number two on my list, second only to Mage.

"I don't really want to talk about it." I stated calmly, shoving my hands into my pockets. The two of us were now crossing the square, heading to the path that ran towards Mage's farm.

Raven nodded her head in understanding. "Look, we all miss Mage, but that's no reason to run away. We really could have used your support at the funeral."

"Mage could have used your support at the hospital!" I shouted at Raven, surprising her. I immediately felt bad for Raven, seeing her tremble with tears beginning to form in her eyes. She had been one of Mage's best friends. I placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

Raven shook her head. "No, I deserved it. All of us wanted to go visit Mage, but you were the only one with the strength to go. Then she was gone, and we knew that we had made a mistake. Then you vanished and your mother told us that you had died. It was a very hard summer on all of us. I'm just so glad to see you." Suddenly, I felt Raven wrap her arms around me in a warm embrace. Her makeup was becoming smeared from the tears in her eyes.

The two of us were now standing in front of my farm. Raven looked up at the large sign over the entrance and smiled. "Good boy." She chuckled slightly as she patted my head. That was her old term of affection for me. This day was really causing me to reminisce.

I pointed out across the field to where Neil was working. "That's Neil." My identification of my brother caused Raven to burst out into a fit of laughter. The laughing attracted my brother's attention. Just one look and he knew who it was. In a flash he was running towards his house, hoping to escape. Unfortunately, he tripped over one of his chains and fell in a heap.

Raven was quick to give chase after Neil. The two of them had a very interesting past and I was sure that they were going to have some very interesting conversations. "Two oddballs are out in our field. You have something to do with this, right?" Elli asked as she emerged from the house beside me.

I nodded my head as I placed an arm around Elli's waist. "Elli, I think it's time for a family vacation. I want to go home."

(-)

_A/N: I do not mean to offend anyone with my portrayal of Goths. I just figured that it would be an interesting to the story. The next chapter or two after this are going to have very little to do with HM, but I hope you guys can deal with it. It's time for the reckoning. Happy announcement to close out this chapter. Mage and I set a date for the wedding. We are going to be married the weekend after I turn eighteen, at the end of April._


	23. A Farmer in Canada

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 23: A Farmer in Canada**

_A/N: The last week has been very hectic for me. New semester at school started and I've had so much homework for my new courses. I'm still thinking that I should have ended this story a few chapters ago. Almost all of the ideas that I have left have very little to do with the Harvest Moon world, so I'm thinking that it is time to begin the official wrap up. Three chapters left, counting this one._

_By the way, the saying "time for the reckoning" comes from the play that I was part of. It means that it's time to deal with whatever problems that you are facing. So, in this case, it might be hinting that Tint might be having another run in with his mother._

(-)

**"This **is your pilot speaking. We are currently on our final approach to our destination. Please return your seats to their upright position and turn off all electronic equipment that may interfere with our instruments. Thank you for flying with us and welcome to Canada." The voice over the intercom came clearly even above the noise of the filled plane.

It hadn't taken much to convince Elli to come with us. She had some choice words that she wanted to say to my mother when they met again. This was Elli's first plane trip and it showed. Her white hands were clutched tightly to the armrests as the plane hit a small bit of turbulence. "I think I'm going to be sick." She stated.

Neil chuckled from his seat in the row ahead of us. "Is that because of the air pressure, the descent, or the in-flight movie?"

The entire family was aboard the plane. Elli and I sat together with the twins between us. Stu sat up with Neil and his girlfriend, Raven. The two of them had amazingly managed to push aside their differences and hatred for each other and rediscovered why they were in love in the first place. I never really did understand young love.

We had left the farm in the capable hands of Kai and Popuri. They were going to use the harsh task of farming as a test to see if their relationship had really become healed. I was expecting to see the aftermath of a nuclear explosion when I got back to Mage's Farm in a few weeks.

As soon as she had found out about my return, Raven had called up all of my old friends. They were all going to be waiting for us at the high school. They had organized a huge welcoming party to catch up on the old times. I wasn't sure how much Raven had told them about all that had happened since I had left. A smile crossed over my face as I remembered the good old times. All my cadet friends, my fellow video gamers, and everyone else that I knew would be there. All for me.

We had broken through the layer of clouds above the airport. I looked out the window and across the surroundings. "Welcome home, Tint." Raven stated.

I heard Elli grumble slightly at that remark. I shook my head, "This isn't my home anymore. I belong back in Mineral Town, on my farm with my family. I'm only doing this to say goodbye to everyone that I never had a chance to."

"Is there anything that can change your mind? It just isn't the same without you and Mage around anymore." Raven protested as the wheels of the plane contacted the ground.

"Mage's death forced me to review my live and figure out what I really wanted. I found everything I ever wanted and more then that in Mineral Town. There is nothing that you or anyone else can say that will change my mind." I replied coldly. Back then was high school and the carelessness of youth. Now, I had an amazing family and career. I had matured so much in that year and a half that I had spent in Mineral Town.

The plane had slowed to a crawl as it approached the terminal building. It was at that time that the color bean to return to Elli's face. "See, we made it and are back on the ground, safe and sound." I said soothingly as I placed my hand atop hers.

We disembarked from the plane and headed through customs. Everything actually went smoothly for once and we continued to the luggage retrieval. After collecting our suitcases we made our way to the lobby and greeting area. We had fallen behind the rest of the passengers, who had already made their way through the airport and outside. There was only one other person in the lobby when we got there. A man wearing a black suit and white gloves was holding up a sign. "Tint" was scrawled across the piece of cardboard in black marker.

The man extended his hand in greeting. "Master Tint, I presume. My name is Jeeves. The limo is waiting outside." Jeeves took control of the cart loaded with the suitcases and beckoned for us to follow him through the revolving door. Sure enough, a black stretch limousine was parked outside, waiting for us.

Jeeves had already popped the trunk and was just finishing loading the bags. By the time that I stepped up to the rear door, Jeeves had already moved to open it. Red leather seats lined the spacious interior, but it was who was seated inside that caught my attention. "Dad!" I exclaimed as I hurled myself towards my father, embracing him in a friendly hug.

My old man returned the embrace as the others filed inside. "Good to see you, my son." Dad exclaimed, heartily pounding me on the back. "And you too, little hellion." He exclaimed as he took hold of Neil. The two of us sat down on either side of our father, overjoyed at the reunion.

"How did you know we were coming?" I asked in amazement.

My father chuckled. "A little birdie told me." He replied sending a wink over to Raven. Next he looked over at Elli, with Jack and Mage. "And you must be Elli. I see that the quality of the women in Mineral Town hasn't declined in the slightest since my day. Wow, two children! Well done, Tint! Do my eyes deceive me or is that one a girl?"

"Yes dad, Mage is a girl. The other one is named Jack. The older boy is Stu. He's Elli's brother." I quickly introduced the young ones.

The limo had pulled away from the airport and was already speeding along the highway towards my hometown. My father scratched his beard thoughtfully. "I'll have to call up my brothers and tell them that the family bet has been won. First girl in five whole generations!"

I waited patiently as my dad called up his siblings on his cell phone. As soon as he had finished with his calls I spoke. "Dad, thanks for everything that you've done for me. You've been so helpful, yet you want to buy Mineral Town and demolish it. Why?"

My dad looked slightly nervous as he considered his answer. "Look, I'm not the one who wants Mineral Town destroyed. I love the place, but your mother… She's hated that place since the first time she laid eyes on it. If I want to keep everything that I have, I have to carry out my end of the contract."

I remembered Barley explaining the contract to me during the reconstruction of my farm. He had said that in order for my dad to become the rightful heir of my mother's family company, he would have to carry out their wish list of town demolition. I couldn't understand why we never had any of this money from when I was growing up. Maybe my mother didn't want me to be able to have any of her family's fortune.

We spent the rest of the trip telling tales about what had been going on since I left. My father had asked how well my farm was going and if I was going to meet his requirements. I was quick to brag, claiming that Mage's Farm was doing so well that it would pass inspection at this very moment. That prompted my dad to declare that he was pushing the inspection date ahead to the tenth of Fall of this year. He wanted to get everything done and over with as soon as possible. I couldn't agree with him better.

"Now arriving in Wetaskiwin." Jeeves announced as the limo began to slow down. I looked out the tinted window and, sure enough, a sign on the roadside declared that we were entering my hometown. I had a bundle of mixed emotions swirling through my head, ranging from nostalgia to disgust. I'm not going to lie; but Wetaskiwin isn't really a jewel of a town. I can sum that up in one simple statistic. Wetaskiwin has the third highest ratio of pawn shops per person. The only two cities that top us are New York and Las Vegas. Now, that's a bad sign.

Jeeves made a couple of turns through the busy city streets. The streetlights were just beginning to flicker to life, casting a haunting glow over the town as the sky darkened towards night. My father was eagerly pointing out which buildings he owned and which ones he was in the process of buying.

A couple of spotlights, a rare sight in this trashy place, directed us towards the high school. Apparently, everyone was making a huge deal out of something as simple as a former citizen coming home. I could understand it being an important event in a small place like Mineral Town, but in a city… There had to be something else that was being planned for my arrival that I was unaware of.

The high school came into view. A dreary looking red brick box with no features that made it special. It was nothing more than the cheapest government founded excuse for a youth prison. It looked almost exactly the way it had the day I left it, except for one thing. Herded at the front door was a swarm of news reporters and cameras, which was quite funny. Our town didn't have any television channels.

"Dad, what is going on here?" I asked, suddenly becoming slightly worried at the amount of attention that was going to be heaped on me.

The limo pulled to a stop before the front doors, drawing the news people in like a swarm of mosquitoes to a blood banquette. Jeeves got out and was making his way around the car to open up the door. "Your mother has twisted your story into a cruel tale. She's made the media think that you were the reason that Mage died in the hospital. Then you fled the country to avoid being arrested. They're out for justice." My father explained nervously.

"Thanks for turning my welcoming party into a manhunt." I commented sarcastically as Jeeves pulled open the door. I was greeted with a wave of offensive remarks and questions from the media personnel as I stepped out into the night air. "How does it feel to get away with murder?" One reporter asked, shoving a microphone into my face.

"You people sicken me." I stated bluntly. "You are always ready to take any shots that you can at someone. Believing false stories of blasphemy and using someone's personnel life as your grounds for improving ratings. You are blaming me for killing one of my best friends and you do not feel guilty at all about it, do you?"

A few of the reporters lowered their mikes and cameras, taking a step back. They were right to be ashamed. But, those were only a small percentage of those who were gathered. Another microphone was shoved viciously into my face. "Do you like taking advantage of dying girls?"

My mother had obviously taught these reporters what to say to tick me off. The reporter who had asked the violating question realized his mistake, soon after being on the receiving end of a retaliating punch. The media cameras still rolling were sure to catch that. I pushed past the remaining reporters to join my family at the school entrance. We quickly ducked inside and out of the range of the prying media.

"Everyone's inside the gym." My father explained, leading us through the hallways. The sounds of people celebrating echoed through the empty hallways, growing louder as we neared the gym. I recognized so many of the voices as people who had changed my life from when I was younger.

We rounded a final corner. The doors to the gym were right there but they were being blocked by an older couple who I instantly recognized. They were Mage's parents. They spotted me as soon as I came around the corner. This was going to be a difficult conversation. I opened my mouth to begin an apology, but I was quickly interrupted.

"We don't believe those rumors. We know that you cared for our daughter and treated her so well during her final few months. We never did get the opportunity to thank you for easing her suffering. Thank you so very much." Mage's mother said amid tears.

I was taken aback by the gentleness and understanding that her parents were showing me. I was expecting them to rip my head off. I fell to my knees before them, not ashamed of the tears in my own eyes. I was honestly speechless.

Elli took a few steps forward and cleared her throat. Mage's parents gasped when they saw her, clearly taken aback by the similarities between my wife and their daughter. "Tint has told me so much about your daughter and not a single word of it wasn't praise. I have grown to respect Mage for the fight that she put up. To honor her, we decided to name our baby girl after your daughter." Elli handed little Mage over to Mage's mother, who's weeping had now turned into tears of joy.

The joyful meeting was interrupted by my father. He was standing near the door and had pulled it open. "Tint, your friends are waiting." He exclaimed.

I proudly stepped inside the gymnasium and found myself face to face with my mother. The door was slammed shut behind me. I looked around and found that I was alone with my mother and two policemen. There was no party, no friends, just betrayal. The two policemen approached me, one stating, "You are under arrest for the murder of the girl called Mage." I got one good look at my mother before I was turned to face the wall as a pair of handcuffs were placed around my wrists. She was smiling.

(-)

_A/N: Now that is harsh. Poor Tint, thinking that he was going back home for a reunion with his friends. He ended up being betrayed by so many people: his father, Raven, even Mage's parents had a small part to do with it. Will Tint be able to prove his innocence or will his mother succeed in destroying his life? Find out next time as I will bring you the second last chapter._


	24. Prison Journal

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 24: Prison Journal**

_A/N: So Tint's in prison facing false charges of killing Mage. He's been betrayed by the people he used to care about. Now, he awaits trial and sentencing. The outcome is uncertain, knowing full well that his mother could influence that decision. Be warned that this chapter is really messed up and probably won't make any sense._

(-)

**Life **in prison had been harsh. Even the prisoners had heard of my alleged exploits and they were quick to take hatred against me. Day after day had passed by and I now was on my last day of imprisonment. I had been given a small journal which I used to record the events of my prison stay. Now, in those final hours, I decided to go back and review my records.

Summer 22 (August 05): Today is my first day stuck here in this dump. I don't really know what to say about any of this. I am still in awe that I was betrayed. I wasn't surprised that my mother had something planned, but I never expected it to be this large in scale.

My heart still aches as I thought about everyone who had taken part in this betrayal. Raven, who had convinced me into returning to Canada. My father, who had turned his back on his own child for the sake of a few billion dollars. Even Mage's parents. I don't have anything to say to any of them.

Elli has been ushered out of the country, taking Stu and the children with her. Neil had to face the choice of love or family loyalty. He chose love. This leaves me with no support to face this hatred with.

September 13: I lost track of the Mineral Town calendar. I've been receiving letters from the people back in Mineral Town. They all are behind me, but nobody is allowed to come over here. Worse off, rumors were flying around the village that these accusations were true.

October 02: How long are they going to keep me here? I have yet to talk to a lawyer or go through a trial! I am being held here against my will! I know that this is against the law! Obviously, money can take precedence over the law.

January 29: About time that they gave me a trial. Much good it did. I was called up to the witness stand and was faced with more outrages accusations. I was never given the chance to speak one single time. It was no surprise when the jury came back with the guilty verdict. But a surprise did come when the judge handed me the death sentence. My sentence wouldn't be made public knowledge because the death penalty is "outlawed" in Canada. I have been transferred to a private facility with no contact to the outside world. All I am stuck with are the other dozen prisoners who are faced with the same fate as me. There, I will wait until that day comes. September 11 of next year.

Across the wall from my sparsely furnished cell was a newspaper clipping from the front page of a leading national paper. There was a large picture of me covering my face as I was ushered into a waiting police car. The headline screamed, "Brett, the Body Bastard has finally been Sentenced to Life!"

February 16: My mind is starting to fall apart on me. I'm starting to see things that I know don't exist. I am coming up with a complex plot to get revenge on everyone! Yes, they will all pay for what they did to me!

What I'm going to do is escape one day when they bring in the school field trips. They come every couple of days and do nothing but point and laugh at me. They will be the firs to pay! Then, I will kill the guards and escape into the outside world. Mother, I'm coming for you!

February 18: Medication good… Killing bad…

March 07: Father visited me today. He explained his plans of arranging a trip to Mineral Town the day after my scheduled execution. That is when he is going to commence in the destruction of my beloved home. Must stop him, but how? This cell is so confining. Maybe…

March 08: So they caught me. I knew that I should have studied the layout of the prison more carefully before my attempt at freedom. But maybe, just maybe, my progress might not be considered enough to be considered an escape attempt. I managed to take three steps outside of my cell before being gang tackled by the very watchful guards. In hindsight, maybe I shouldn't have yelled out, "I bet that none of you fat jerks can catch me before I get two steps out of this cell, even if you were waiting outside the open door." At least I won the bet. Now, I have five dollars.

The rest of the journal remained blank. I traded off my pen and five dollars for one of the guards to deliver me Tim Horton's coffee for my last day. Now that this day had come, I waited patiently for my delivery to come. I couldn't believe myself. I was about to be put to death and I was more interested in getting my coffee.

Just as I closed my journal, I spotted the guard who was to deliver the coffee. "Hey, you got my drink?" I called out.

The guard merely shrugged his shoulders as he walked past my cage. He paused for a short moment and whispered, "Five minutes until we take you to the chair."

"What about my coffee?" I persisted, tugging at the guard's sleeve. In response, I found myself staring into the barrel of a gun. I take it that I wasn't going to be getting my coffee today. The guard disapeared around the corner, leaving me to wait out the final five minutes of my life that I had left.

How cruel my life had become since being separated from my family. Maybe life would be better for everyone else if I wasn't part of it. I wasn't exactly a highly contributing member of society. So many problems had arisen because of my actions. I had, after all, been a large factor in the death of Doctor Tim. If I just went peacefully, nobody would really care about me.

But, there was my family. How could I so easily cast them aside and forget about them? The kids would be growing up without a father. Poor Elli would have to live the rest of her life without me by her side. Maybe she had found someone else? The farm had probably already fallen into shambles. The chances of my farm passing my father's inspection were slim. What was I thinking? He wouldn't care if the farm was good enough, he would still destroy Mineral Town.

I could feel my emotions getting the better of me. Tears were on the verge of bursting from my eyes. All I could do to hold them back was move to the corner and huddle up into a ball. I buried my heads into my arms, sobbing at my failure in life. "It's a shame to see a grown man cry." A voice stated from above me.

I quickly got up to my feet and looked at the window in the corner of my cell. A tiny person dressed in a red shirt and cap was staring in at me. "Chef! What are you doing here?" I asked, clearly amazed that I had a window in my cell. If I had known about that earlier, I would have tried to use that in my escape attempt.

Chef shrugged his tiny Harvest Sprite shoulders. "Me and the other sprites were at the local Tim Horton's. The owner had to make a delivery here, but was too busy. So he asked us to do it for him." In Chef's hand, he held a large coffee cup.

"Give me!" I called out as I launched myself at the window. I fell hopelessly short and smashed myself into the wall.

Chef shook his head in amazement. "Either your days in prison have made you crazier or you're the exact same as I remember you. You'll get your coffee when we let you out of here, Tint."

"Give me!" I demanded, jumping up at the window. The other Harvest Sprites were already at work loosening the bars across the widow. I was amazed that the Sprites had managed to sneak into such a high security facility.

"One minute left, Body Bastard!" A guard called from somewhere along the hall.

The Harvest Sprites had removed the last of the bars. I had access to freedom! I jumped up and managed to grab hold of the outside of the wall. The Harvest Sprites took hold of my arms and pulled. "A prisoner is escaping!" The guard called out as he approached my cage.

Alarms blared all around me as I collapsed onto the grass outside the building. I got up to my feet with the help of the Sprites. I looked around at the familiar surroundings as the Sprites tugged me away from the large building that I had been held captive in. Who would have guessed that a prison was stationed on the interior of a Wal-Mart? I always knew that the store was smaller than the building appeared on the outside. At least I was still in my home town.

Bold reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny slip of paper. The blue clothed Sprite handed me the paper. I took one look at the paper and realized that it was a ticket back home. I looked over the sprites, a thankful look across my face. "I don't know what to say." I stated.

"Just make sure that we have a home to return to." Aqua replied. The building was beginning to empty of guards. The men appeared to be very angry about something as they charged towards me and the Harvest Sprites.

I quickly downed the scalding drink and ran. A harsh war cry erupted from behind me. I risked glancing over my shoulder to see what was going on. The Harvest Sprites had discarded their caps to reveal colored headbands. Judging from the way they were handling the guards, I could guess that they had studied a martial art at one time or another.

The sound of a blaring car horn brought me back to my escape. I turned my attention back onto what was in front of me and found myself running across a road. A fancy red sports convertible had stopped right in front of me. I was unable to stop, tumbling across the hood of the vehicle. "Tint! Get in!" The driver of the car ordered.

I didn't bother to see who it was. All I did was dive into the back seat of the vehicle as the driver floored the accelerator. My breath came in sharp intakes as I struggled to regain my composure from the escape. "You're quite lucky that your friends included me in their plan." The driver commented over his shoulder.

I got my first look at the driver of my escape vehicle. I hardly recognized Neil from his refined appearance. Gone was the Gothic look and arrived was a professional appearance. I pulled myself into a sitting position as he returned his attention to the road. "When did you get your license?" I inquired. He had turned sixteen the previous spring, so he was o legal age to drive in this province. But, judging from the way that he handled the sports car, he hadn't passed the driving exam.

"I never got it. I just decided to steal Mother's car and take it for a joy ride. I ran into the Harvest Sprites at the coffee shop and they convinced me to help on your rescue. You've got a bag in the trunk. All I have to do is get you to the airport." Neil replied as he swerved to avoid a slow moving vehicle.

A siren sounded from behind us. I glanced back to see two police cars taking pursuit of us. "Your training from Grand Theft Auto better have paid off." I commented. In response, Neil pushed the car to an even faster speed.

A few more cop cars joined the chase. This was turning out to be just like a scene from one of those Worlds Wildest Police Chase Videos. My belief was confirmed when I spotted the helicopter hovering above us.

"I hope that Raven understands. She sends her apologies. She had no idea that Mother had caught wind of your returns." Neil yelled above the roar of the wind mixed with the chopper blades.

"No problem. I just want to get back home to Elli and the kids. That's all that matters. I hope that the plane will take off with so much police involvement." The road ahead of us was clearing up considerably. We had taken to the highway and had clear passage as far as I could see.

"Don't worry about your plane. The ticket you have is just a decoy. Hand it in at the proper gate. The attendant will direct you to a door to the tarmac. There will be one of your old Cadet friends waiting in a fighter jet to take you over to Japan. Meanwhile, the police will force the passenger airliner to stay grounded, thinking that you boarded that plane. We have it all planned out." Neil explained.

A voice crackled over some sort of megaphone, breaking the crisp fall atmosphere. "Pull over this instant or we will be forced to use violent measures." The command came from somebody up in the helicopter. This was definitely ranking among the most exciting moments of my twenty and a half years.

A sign on the roadside stated that the next exit led to the airport. Neil faked going straight before swerving onto the exit. A few of the cop vehicles bought the bluff, trying desperately to make it to the onramp. All that they succeeded in creating was a pile-up of crashed vehicles. "Only two remain on our tail. Plus the chopper." I observed as we drove across the overpass. The airport terminal loomed ahead of us.

"Tint, get the bag out of the trunk!" Neil ordered. I immediately obliged, flipping down the seat and reaching into the trunk. "That's going to help your escape. Leave it somewhere in the airport. The security there is sure to quarantine the area, thinking that the bag is a bomb."

I looked over at my brother. He was showing bravery and loyalty that was unknown among youth his age. I was proud of my kid brother. "What about you? You're not coming home with me, are you?" I asked.

We had pulled in underneath the parking garage of the airport. That was sure to lose the helicopter. The cop cars that were following us were fooled by a quick u-turn that Neil pulled. Now, he had parked the car in front of the entrance. People were looking at us like we were madmen.

Neil shook his head as I jumped out of the vehicle. "I'm afraid not." Flashing lights from either end of the road confirmed that the cops had backed Neil into a corner. "I've got to buy you some extra time. Now go!" I hesitated momentarily before running into the airport.

There was a large glass window that showed the events that were happening outside. Neil's car was now surrounded by half a dozen police cars, their occupants pouring out and pointing their guns at my brother. Neil had gotten out of his car, his hands raised into the air in a gesture of surrender. He was slowly backing away from the advancing officers who were demanding that he get down on his knees.

A smile had crossed my brother's face as he backed into a wall. His hand searched the wall, eventually finding and pressing the button for the elevator. The metallic doors slid open and Neil dived inside, just barely avoiding the bullets that collided with the shutting door. My guess was that he was going to hit the emergency stop button between floors. He was going to be safe for a few minutes.

The people inside the airport had joined me in watching what was occurring outside. I quickly dropped my bag among the crowd near the door. "It's a bomb!" I called out, pointing to the abandoned bag before continuing towards the gate listed on my ticket. All around me, people were turning into a frightened mob. They would provide me with cover as I joined them in running through the terminal.

I spotted the gate that was listed on the ticket. The man behind the desk appeared calm while everyone else was screaming. I casually approached the desk and handed the man my ticket. The man looked over the ticket and quickly gestured for me to follow him as he ducked into the tunnel leading towards a parked plane.

"Mage would have loved this if it had been a movie or video game." The man commented as he opened up a small silver door. The door led to the tarmac, where there was a jet waiting.

I placed a reassuring hand on the shoulder of the man. Only now did I recognize him as one of my old friends. He was actually the one who had called me Farmer Tint on my last day of school. "Sorry that our reunion couldn't be on better circumstances." I apologized.

My friend shook his head. "No need to apologize. I'm just glad to help you once again, Tint. I knew that you were innocent."

I thanked my friend and quickly descended the staircase onto the tarmac. The door behind me was slammed shut, locking me outside. I was so close to freedom, I could practically smell it. "Hey Tint, ready for a ride?" The female pilot asked as she handed me a helmet.

"You know it. Let's blow this joint." I smiled as I slipped the helmet over my head. She was yet another friend. I remembered that she had received her pilot's license from Cadets and I knew that I could trust her flying.

The two of us jumped into the cockpit. The woman fired up the engines as she lowered the canopy over our heads. A voice crackled over the radio. "You're clear for takeoff. Fly free, Tint." Yet another friend of mine.

_"This rescue is going along perfectly." _I thought as our jet roared down the runway and up into the air. The helicopter watched helplessly as the jet screamed by it. The pilot pointed the plane west and off we were. I was on my way back home.

(-)

_A/N: Don't even get started on what's technically wrong with this chapter. It's a work of fiction and anything's possible. Thus ends the second last chapter of this story. I wish to warn everyone that it may take some time before I get out the final chapter. I plan on it to be very long and near perfect. I'm going to be pouring every minute of my spare time to ensure that this story will go out with a memorable conclusion. Thanks for reading this chapter and please remain patient in waiting for the conclusion._


	25. Judgement Day

**Gamer To Farmer**

**Chapter 25: Judgment Day**

_A/N: I can't believe that this is the final chapter. Be prepared for a very long chapter. I originally planned for this last chapter to be about four thousand words long, but as it turned out, it's a lot longer then that. Please enjoy this exciting conclusion._

(-)

**"This **is as far as I can take you, Tint." The captain of the fishing vessel stated. Our boat was floating just outside of the Mineral Town harbor. I had jettisoned from the jet and made a rendezvous with Greg, the fisher from Mineral Town. He still had the remainder of the day to fish, so he would not be returning to town with me.

"Thanks a lot, Greg." I shook the fisher's hand before jumping over the side of the vessel. I was immediately greeted with a wave of cold sweeping through my body as I plummeted into the icy water. My lungs cried for air as I climbed my way up to the surface.

The fresh taste of oxygen came as a welcome invasion as my head broke through the layers of water above me. I looked around to familiarize myself with the watery surroundings. The boat had vanished leaving me without a rescue if I ever needed one. The shore of Mineral Town was barely visible above the crashing waves. That distant beach was my goal. My return to Mineral Town was going to come as a huge surprise to everyone. It was, after-all, over a year since I had set foot on friendly soil.

Overhead, the sky darkened. Night was fast approaching as I swam valiantly towards the shore. This was definitely harder than competing in any Opening Day festival. With the current against me, my progress came from great physical effort. My best guess was that I had covered only about have of the distance so far.

The waves crashing against my body were becoming too much of a taxation on my body. I wasn't exactly in the same shape that I had been before my prison term. "I need a rest." I muttered, allowing my body to float atop the waves. The slow rocking of the ocean was so soothing, I almost felt like falling asleep. It had been a very busy day and I was getting tired.

I guess that I must have taken a short nap, because my eyes awakened to see a full moon glowing brilliantly overhead. What were the chances of tonight being a full moon? Somehow, the full moon had been a bad omen that was symbolic of a recurring trend of unfortunate incidents. Hopefully, the same fate wasn't in store for this night.

I tilted my head back in the water to observe my destination. Some strange force had kept me from floating out to sea, instead nudging me closer to shore. I'm sure that there was the Harvest Goddess to thank for that. So many memories were coming back to me, increasing in number the nearer I got to Mineral Town.

My inner monolog was filling my head with constant chatter as I continued swimming towards shore. "Remember everything that Mineral Town stands for. The memories, the people, your family and friends. They'll all be gone if you don't make it back there. Plus, you didn't escape from prison to die floating out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean." The voice made a pretty good point.

The buildings of Mineral Town were alit with an inviting glow coming from the windows. The brightest of these lights was coming from the Inn. Apparently, the villagers were having a nice little party to celebrate their final day in Mineral Town. Tomorrow, this was all going to end for them. Or so they thought. Not if I could do something about it.

One light appeared out of place. Maybe my eyes were deceiving me or there was a light coming from the end of the dock. As I got closer, the light became cleared. I could swear that it was a solitary candle burning hopefully under the careful watch of a hunched figure draped in a heavy blanket. Somebody was out waiting.

A pair of unblinking brown eyes stared at the flickering flame. The watcher's concentration was broken when a few strands of shoulder length brown hair fell over the right eye. A hand came up and carefully tucked the stray strands back underneath the blanket. I was now close enough to see exactly who the watcher was. Either the salt water had gotten into her eyes or she was crying. I felt so bad to see my wife sitting out here, all alone in the cold. Knowing her, Elli had come out to the dock every day since our separation, awaiting my unlikely return. Now, I was here.

I silently swam beside the dock, stealthily moving past her post. I wanted this moment to come as a complete shock to her. My feet were now scraping against the bottom of the ocean, allowing me to stand up. I stole a quick glance down the dock to ensure that she hadn't noticed me yet. Elli's attention was still drawn to the diminutive flame of the candle.

Tip-toeing along the wooden planks of the dock, I sneaked up behind my wife. I cringed slightly as one board let out an awful squeak as I gently placed my foot down on it. "Go away." Elli ordered, not taking her gaze away from her light.

I stopped about a dozen paces behind Elli. A smile crossed my face upon hearing her voice. It was just as angelic as the last time I had heard it. "That's no way to greet anyone, least of all your husband." I scolded gently.

A short gasp escaped Elli's lips, extinguishing the candle's flame. In the darkness, I could hardly make out the outline of her gorgeous face as it turned to face me. I greeted her tearful gaze with a warming smile and held open my arms. In an instant, Elli had buried her sobbing head into my shoulder, clutching tightly to what she had lost. I gently caressed her, thankful that I had been given a second chance to hold onto her. "It really is you. I knew that you would come back." Elli choked out, stifling back the sobs that racked her body.

"I've missed you so much." I admitted tilting her chin up to receive a kiss. Her lips were ice cold, although they were warming slightly from the connection between us. After what seemed like hours, we broke apart from each other.

I leaned over, picking up the blanket that Elli had cast aside and draped it over her shoulders. This Fall night was serving up the normal blistering winds, chilling us to the bone. "We should head inside." I suggested much to Elli's approval. My wet clothes had practically frozen against my skin, stinging fiercely.

Elli was returning to her normal joyful demeanor. "I have so much to tell you, I don't even know where to start. Both Mage and Jack took their first steps and said their first words. Jack said 'Stu' and Mage said 'doggy'. I've been trying my hardest to keep the farm running in top order. The barn is full of sheep and cattle, the chickens are all healthy, and the harvests have been very kind. Those pineapples that you and Neil planted ended up being our savior on more than one occasion. The whole town has missed you. Ann and Cliff had a son who they named Cian. Gray and Mary had a daughter named Maria. Kai and Popuri named their daughter Shannon. And Rick and Karen named their son Brett, after you. Jack and Celia had another son, this one named Alex. Our farm won the sheep, cow, and the chicken festivals since you've been gone. It has been a very eventful year. Too bad that none of it matters because your father is just going to destroy all of this tomorrow."

I pulled Elli closer to me, determination sounding strong in my voice as I stated, "I'm not going to let that happen. Why else would I have come back unless I was going to do something about it?"

My wife looked up at me expectantly. "You and Neil have something planned?"

I was shaking my head before she had even finished the question. "I'm afraid that Neil won't be coming back to Mineral Town for a very long time. At least, not after the little escape stunt that we pulled. The same probably is true for the Harvest Sprites. If it wasn't for them, I'd be dead."  
Elli gasped slightly at my remark. "They were going to kill you?" She asked in amazement.

"I can't believe it either. My Mother's has become too powerful, casually bribing the entire Canadian justice system to have her own son killed. I can't wait to get revenge against her." I chuckled slightly as I rubbed my hands together in anxiety.

Elli's face was full of concern as she forced me to stop. She forcefully turned me to face her, her face inches from mine. "I lost you once to false charges of murder, and I'm not about to let you get taken away for the real thing. I doubt that I could handle being without you for any longer. I know that she deserves it, but you just can't kill your own mother."

The sincerity in Elli's eyes was more than enough to sway me from my resolve. I owed it to her not to put her in such a lonely position ever again. Plus, there was plenty more that could be done against her that wouldn't land me in jail. At least for a long term. Anyone up for a dip in the ditch? I returned to my plotting, the evil grin crossing my face giving Elli something to be concerned about.

A rather dull atmosphere was coming from the Inn. Even with an open door, hardly a sound escaped the rather rambunctious Inn. Parties were supposed to be fun, but this one seemed to be rather somber. I told Elli as much and she nodded her head in agreement. A sparkle of mischievousness glimmered in her eyes as she came up with an idea. "Follow me inside, but wait by the door." She ordered as she draped her blanket over my body. I could guess that she was going to turn this into another surprise.

Elli, appearing rather dejected, entered the Inn. I silently followed her inside, unnoticed by the roomful of friendly villagers who were gathered. All eyes were on Elli as she pushed her way towards the bar. The room became deathly silent as the individuals considered what meaning that her presence meant. Finally, Kai broke the silence. "Even Elli has given up on Tint. Face it, everyone, he isn't coming back. He was the only hope that Mineral Town had left."

The crowd grumbled in agreement. I was hidden in the shadows, observing everyone who was gathered. The entire village was here, ranging from the elders all the way to the newest generation. My own children were also present. I was so tempted to reveal myself just so that I could go and touch them, but I had to wait. This was a cruel torture, but could turn out to be an interesting form of entertainment. My days in prison had been boring beyond belief, so I needed this fun.

Elli now turned on her seat at the bar, facing those gathered. "I propose a toast. Although he isn't here, Tint did everything he could for this town, even with all the challenges that he faced. I'm sure that if he was here right now, he wouldn't be moping about."

"That's right! He'd be passed out on the floor at Doug's feet." Karen announced, bringing an outburst of laughter from the villagers. I emitted a short chuckle at the truth.

My wife continued on with her speech. "What Tint would be doing right now would be thanking each and every one of you for making his time with us so memorable. You all have to admit that life in Mineral Town was quite boring and uneventful before Tint came here." I nodded my head in agreement, copying the actions of the villagers.

"I'm sure that some of you have some memories of Tint that you'd be willing to share." Elli hinted.

Stu was the first to clear his voice. I was amazed at how much he had grown. Now, he was almost a teenager. "I remember this one time when May and I were betting on who would win the Opening Day Festival. Well, I was betting against Tint, so he threatened to toss me into the ocean."

The crowd chuckled at the tale. May was quick to pipe up and add, "Hey, Stu! What about the time you fell off Mother's Hill and landed on Tint? You broke his shoulder really good."

"Speaking of Mother's Hill…" Ann began. "The day when Tint was looking for a date for the Harvest Festival, he fell down Mother's Hill and stopped at Popuri's and my feet. Then he tried to cover up his stumble by acting all smooth." I scowled slightly as the crowd had worked itself into laughing frenzy.

"You can't forget all of the times when we convinced Tint to run around town when he was drunk." Doug suggested. This one was coming as a surprise to me although the townspeople were all telling their individual tales. Elli nodded in my direction, signaling for me to make my presence known.

I casually stepped out from the shadows. "What exactly did you guys make me do?" I asked.

I was greeted with a set of amazed expressions and greetings. I offered a curt wave as I was surrounded by my fellow villagers. Giving into their demands, I was obliged to relate my tale to them. When I was done, I was still determined to find something out. "So, tell me, what did you make me do?"

Doug was reluctant to supply an answer, but eventually gave in. "Since you've come back home, I might as well tell you. It's the least that the town can do for having a chance to keep our village. When you got really drunk, we took you up Mother's Hill and reintroduced you to your old friend, the possessed tree. We had a huge betting pool going among the villagers to see how long you'd last in each battle. The last time you two fought, you lasted slightly over twenty minutes."

Amazing how my presence had turned a somber occasion into a joy filled reunion. We continued telling our tales well into the morning hours. In fact, we figured that we should call the party quits when the crude sun burned our hazed eyes when we glanced outside. That's right, we spent an entire night drinking. God, I love Mineral Town.

Mayor Thomas was quick to pull me aside as Elli and I were leaving the party. Stu had taken the kids home much earlier and were probably getting a half decent night of sleep. The Mayor on the other hand, was much more interested in ensuring that I knew of the repercussions of today's actions. "Tint, do you know how important today is for all of us?"

"Of course I do! I wouldn't break out of jail and come half way around the world if this wasn't urgent." I replied.

Thomas shook his head. "Look. I expect that you will treat your parents and their bodyguards with the utmost of respect. There is to be no violence. Just pretend that the inspecting party is made up of complete strangers." Good. I hate strangers.

I nodded my head in reluctant acceptance of Thomas' terms. How unfair of my parents to bring along bodyguards. Now, I had to get serious and focus on the single task of making Mage's Farm look presentable. "How long until our visitors arrive?" I inquired.

"Their private yacht is scheduled to arrive at the dock in exactly two hours. I expect that both you and Elli will be there to welcome the visitors. Remember, no violence." The Mayor gave me a final warning before heading home to make preparations of his own.

The walk home with Elli came as a welcome calm before the storm. My wife continued to tell me accounts of all the activities that I had missed out on. How regretful it is to know that you missed out on a year of your life during the most important time of all, when you are needed most.

Upon setting foot under the entrance sign I was greeted by a still energetic Homer, tailed by two younger dogs. "I should have told you that Homer fathered a litter of puppies last fall. The tinier one is Cujo and the other is Angst. Oh, and check the stable. Epona will be glad to see you." Elli explained.

During the walk to the stable I got to overlook my fields. Never before had I seen such a productive farm. The crops were all just about ready to harvest. Elli had done an amazing job during my absence.

I was surprised to see that the stable had been enlarged. The building now took up every bit of free space that had been remaining. Now at least ten times larger, I could only guess at what had happened. I pulled open the swinging doors and was immediately knocked to the ground by an overactive Epona.

I gingerly picked myself off the grass, grumbling a happy greeting to my horse. But then a second horse, this one pitch black exited the stable. It was the same horse that Tom had ridden at the Local Horse Race. Following Shadow came a sandy colored steed with a huge black spot on its left side. Another horse, this one looking exactly like Epona, except with a white mane, came next. Followed by another and yet another. By the time the last horse bolted from the stable, I counted twelve steeds in total.

I looked over at Elli, who merely shrugged. "What? I had a lot of extra money lying around and I've always loved horses, so I figured that I may as well buy a few additions to our stable."

The dozen horses playfully chased each other around the field, following a trail that had been marked out. As if living by a preset schedule, all dozen beasts returned to the stable, entering in a neat single file line. Once again, Elli gave me an innocent shrug. "I also happened to have a lot of extra time on my hands. Since I had nothing else of importance to do, so I learned how to train horses. As you can see, I ended up being very good at it."

I nodded my head in stunned agreement. The longer I was back in my town, the more confident I was becoming that there was still a slight chance of convincing my father to accept the farm for how it was. But, there was still the variable of my Mother's unwanted presence, although she had been banned from the town.

Elli tugged me in the direction of our house. I had a bad feeling that with her free time she might have found another task to do. I just hoped that she hadn't painted the indoors a strange color, like pink.

My fears were soon found to be untrue. Elli pulled me inside the house, slamming the door shut behind us. I suddenly found myself covered with searching, groping hands. "I missed you too, but that's no reason to go wild." I quickly admonished.

"Quiet." Elli placed a finger against my lips, hushing me. "Let's go to the bedroom." She suggested.

**Two **hours later, a loud knock on the door forced us to finish our romantic reunion. I rolled over, falling heavily onto the ground. "Ouch." I commented as I picked myself up off the ground. Now, I just needed to find an alarm clock to smash and life would be back to normal.

The knocking persisted, growing more impatient. "I guess they want to ruin our lives in a hurry." Elli stated as she began to get dressed. I was about to do the same when an evil idea crossed my thoughts. I had been having a lot of these thoughts recently. I slowly crept towards the staircase, preparing myself to scar my parents' vision. A disapproving shake of the head from Elli convinced me against it. Grudgingly, I pulled on my clothing and headed to the door. I wondered if my parents had learned about my escape.

I pulled open the door, revealing only Mayor Thomas. "Where are my folks?" I asked, looking around to see if they were trailing the Mayor.

"They are down at the beach. Your Mother refuses to come further into town until she's seen you." Thomas responded. So they had found out about the cancelled execution. That ruined one of the surprises that I had planned.

Soon afterwards, Elli joined me outside, the two little children hiding shyly behind their mother. Stu came pushing past us, eager to get to the stable and ride his personal horse, a black stallion with two large white patches over each eye, named Deuces. Elli quickly told Stu to behave himself before we followed the Mayor to the beach.

A crowd of villagers had gathered in the town square, attempting to get to the beach and speak their minds to the unwelcome visitors. A pair of burly bodyguards wearing suits held the crowd back despite being severely outnumbered. Somebody in the crowd noticed our arrival and ordered the crowd to make way for us. After some nudging and pushing, a path had opened up for us to the guards. The two bouncers moved aside to let us past.

The beach had been turned into some strange sort of diplomatic protection ring. My parents were surrounded by a circle of six more guards. A helicopter was parked further along the beach. The sight was more like a scene from a "protect the president from terrorists" movie.

Mother looked up from her book, eyeing me with disgust, before returning to her reading. My father, on the other hand, tried to hide his face from me. Obviously, he still felt guilty over betraying me at my high school "reunion". I felt like giving my father a piece of my mind, but held back. Judging from the size of the half dozen lackeys, any smart comments that I made might end up being my last. I might have tried it if Neil had been here, but then again, my brother always convinced me to do the stupidest things.

I stopped a fair distance away from the hostile appearing guards. "I'm waiting for an apology." I stated flatly.

"I'm sorry that you escaped." Mother muttered under her breath just loud enough for me to hear. I felt like lashing out with a stream of harsh insults, but decided against it. The look on the guards' faces was enough to frighten me off.

Mayor Thomas looked nervous as he stepped between me and my parents. The Mayor held up his hands to signal peace, announcing, "Let's just get this inspection done. I don't want anything unpleasant."

My father nodded his head, but seemed to be paying attention to something else. I followed his gaze up to the little shop on the beach. The door had opened and Kai with Popuri stood at the entrance. My father's gaze had brought some fear to my mother. It was almost like there were some past concerns that had been brought up by the sight.

The procession started our trek towards my farm. The crowd made their anger heard, loudly shouting insults at my parents. A frown crossed my face as I heard my mother complain about the rudeness of rednecks. If only I could just push her out of the circle of guards and into the angry mob.

Our group was joined by the other two goons, leaving their duties holding the crowd back. Once again, we traveled along the back path. How many times had I walked along this trail, whether it being my first trip after arriving here or the walk of shame on my way to trial. So many memories for such a simple thing as a trail.

Elli and I trailed behind my parents and their encircling guards. My father slowed his group as he passed by the Poultry Farm. His longing gaze drew another worried look from my mother. Elli leaned up against me, whispering, "I think I sense some past issues coming to surface." I nodded my head in agreement. First the strange attention that he gave to Popuri and no to the Poultry Farm. Something was definitely scratching at the surface waiting to be released.

We arrived at the entrance of Mage's Farm. Stu went rushing past on Deuces, glancing over at the arrivals. He quickly reared up Deuces before bolting towards the stable. A few of the guards stared around in amazement and awe. My mother was clearly surprised that the farm had been improved so much since her devious arson. Score one for me.

"Tint, I turn this tour over to you." Mayor Thomas said, bowing slightly as he headed over to the crowd who had followed us. This could turn into a very violent rebellion if the result turned out to be bad. I was confident that the farm could pass any inspection by any regular critic, but here, I was faced with a challenge by people I knew, who didn't give a damn about how well I did with my life. Biased people sure made the world turn slower.

I directed my hand over the field. "We are currently growing plots of grass all over the entire field. The harvest should be more than enough to feed our animals for the entire coming Winter." My father nodded his head in understanding as we now headed to the barn.

"This building, like every other one on the entire farm had to be rebuilt after Mom burnt everything down." I announced as I opened up the door. I held the door open, waiting for everyone else to go through, but nobody budged.

My father had fire burning in his eyes as he glared at my mother. "Is this true?" He demanded. My mother was fuming. "How dare you accuse me of something so diabolical! I was never in this town before in my entire life." So, she never told my father about coming to town. The plot thickens and my chances of revenge at my mother for her scheming had come.

"Do you count the time when your parents came to this town and you fell in love with dad? Obviously, this place is nothing more than a blemish on your life's tale. That's why you convinced your parents to include this town on a destruction list in their will. Your life was perfect before you came to this town. That's why you want it destroyed. You obviously don't really care about the feelings about your family, just the money. Hell, you don't even care about your husbands past. You want to erase everything that ever went even somewhat wrong in your life, just to receive your inheritance. I'm glad that I never knew that we were rich. It just ruins a person, turning them into a spoiled bitch!"

Elli looked at me with admiration. My father appeared to be crying, coming to grips with the reality of my speech. He doubted the dedication of his wife. My mother, meanwhile, appeared to be past the breaking point. She disarmed a guard of his weapon and pointed the pistol at me. "Ungrateful little whelp!" She screamed.

She was about to pull the trigger when my father's hand stopped her. Mother turned to him, expecting for him to take away the gun. Instead, he had a much more devastating attack to use. "I want a divorce."

"But… But… What about the money? Together, we could own the entire world. Why… Why would you give this all up?" Mother said, tears welling up in her eyes as she collapsed to the ground. I was just as surprised as she was. Apparently my speech had done more of an effect then I had anticipated. Score a second victory for me on the day.

"I'm sorry, but I don't love you anymore." My father began as he distanced himself from the sobbing woman. "I don't know what happened to you, but you've changed. When I had met you, you were such a sweet and innocent woman. Now, you're willing to screw over your son to be rich. Money isn't the only thing that brings happiness and Brett's shown that to me. He's shown so much spirit in coming out here and having such a wonderful life, all by himself. He's actually worked for his living and has done a great job at it."

Elli cuddled up close to me, engrossed by the drama unfolding before us. The bodyguards were confused over which of their charges to side with. My mother's sadness quickly changed to anger. "Fine! I don't need you! I'm going to keep all of my parents money to myself. You are no longer welcome in my house." She was screaming, frightening off the observers. Even the crowd could hear her raving.

"I'm sorry, but that's not the way it is going to work." My father was taking pride in the facts that he was about to state. "I was placed in charge of your parent's company, so I have to give the order to do any demolition. But, I'm not going to be giving that order. Mineral Town will stand." A roar of approval came from the crowd as my dad continued, "With Mineral Town standing, the requirements of the will cannot be met. That means that you cannot claim your inheritance."

I was amazed at this turnaround. I had a feeling that the tour was officially over and was thankful that I had saved my town. Meanwhile, the guards were conversing adamantly among themselves. The apparent leader of the group carefully approached my mother. "How are we going to get paid if you don't have any money left?" He asked. My mother shook her head, not knowing what to do. The leader motioned for his men to follow him as he left the farm.

My mother's life was ruined. It felt a little harsh, but she deserved it. From down near the beach came the roar of the helicopter taking off, probably with the guards abandoning my mother. "What are you going to do without me? Probably go off with that pink haired twit that you were dating before me. Fine!" My mother picked herself off the ground, stumbling away from us. I had no idea where she would be going, but it didn't matter anymore. I didn't care.

"Wow." I stated when the hubbub had died down. I was still having difficulty trying to comprehend all that had occurred. From what I understood, my father had just screwed over my mother's entire plan of world domination. Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut. Nah.

My father turned to me. He shrugged his shoulders as if to say that he was waiting for this day his entire life. "Tint, is it? Never thought that Brett suited you, anyway. I was wondering about something. Ever since the day I found out that you had come back to this farm where I was born, I knew that I had to come here. There was something missing in my life and I think that I've found it. Do you need another helper around here?"

I held out my hand and my father heartily shook it. "As long as you know that I am the boss." I said with a smile. Everything had turned out so well. I felt myself being surrounded. I looked around and found that the villagers had gathered around me. "It's time to celebrate!" I announced to a loud cheer.

THE END

(-)

_A/N: So it's over. I would like to thank everyone who has been there for me throughout this entire process. To all of the reviewers, for supporting my creation and being by my side in the good times and the bad. I am proud to look back at this and consider each and every one of you a true friend. To Mage, my true source of inspiration and eternal soulmate. Thank you._

_My speech is a lot shorter than any Oscar speech. I'm having trouble believing that I finished it. I would now like to make a short announcement. My next goal is to finish my Dungeons and Dragons fic. After that, I will go back to all of my incomplete fics and finish them. I am unsure at the moment about my plans after that. I may go about writing a novel based on the real life romance between myself and Mage or do a second Harvest Moon: Back to Nature fic. Please keep me on your author alert list for any future fics that I create. Thank you and goodbye. It's been a pleasure._


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